Wan-Chao Dance, an ethno-contemporary dance project, aims to create new works rooted from traditional dance forms. 

婉昭舞蹈工作室的創作理念，是以結合世界傳統民俗舞蹈為基本語彙，發展世界風當代舞蹈。

WCD premiered at WestWave Dance Festival 2008, and was selected for the Festival of Silk Road and San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival shortly after its debut, and received nomination for Outstanding Choreography by the Isadora Duncan Dance Award (Izzies). The artistic director Wan-Chao Chang brings to her work a wealth of diverse dance disciplines, a blend of traditional ethnic dance and contemporary styles. Her goal is to sensitize audiences to the human commonality while embracing the diversity and beauty reflected in society through the language of dance. 

西元 2008 年在美國 WestWave 舞蹈節展露頭角後，接連入選絲路舞蹈節、舊金山民族舞蹈節， 及入圍美國伊莎朵拉鄧肯舞蹈獎  (Izzies) 優秀編舞提名。藝術總監張婉昭因廣泛的舞蹈經歷背景，其創作結合世界傳統民俗舞蹈與現代而形成獨特的創作風格。婉昭期盼以舞蹈為語言，拉近不同族群文化，關心當代共同議題。 

About Wan-Chao

Wan-Chao Chang, a choreographer, dancer, and the founder of Wan-Chao Dance, brings to her work a wealth of diverse training and experience. Her choreographies are a blend of many virtuoso dance disciplines, giving them a unique character.


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美國媒體曾譽張婉昭為當代世界民族風舞蹈前驅，因其作品因廣泛的舞蹈經歷背景而形成獨特的創作風格。 

在台灣曾教授國際標準舞及世界民俗舞蹈，1995年赴美進修取得舞蹈民族學學士及跨領域藝術學碩士， 並參與三籓市華人歌舞團(首席)、Harsanari 西爪哇民俗舞團(領舞)、Gamelan Sekar Jaya 峇里島舞樂團(客座)、Ballet Afsaneh 中亞絲路古典舞團(首席)等演出; 於2001年擔任 Westwind 世界民俗舞團舞蹈總監 。

婉昭在居留美國十餘年期間，與來自世界各地角落的移民接觸、生活、共事。感興趣的不僅是舞台上表演性質的舞蹈型態，更是在這個文化孕育出來的人們，在生活中的舞蹈與特性。 911發生時她還在美國，事件之後，所居鄰近區域因宗教或種族差異而生的衝突升高。面對周遭異己對立及對陌生未知世界的恐懼心態，使她從這個時期開始，萌生藉由舞蹈突破種族宗教藩籬的期許。除了持續研演傳統世界舞蹈，自此更嘗試於舞蹈語彙中，同中取異、異中求同；單純就肢體來表現不同的舞蹈文化與淡化界線。 

2008 年創立婉昭舞集以發展當代世界民族風 (Ethno-Contemporary) 舞蹈，在 WestWave 舞蹈節與舊金山民族舞蹈節中展露頭角。曾入圍美國伊莎朵拉鄧肯舞蹈獎 (Izzies) 傑出編舞項目，榮獲 CA$H 與 Creative Work Fund 專案補助, 與 ShadowLight 光影劇場 、Stellamara 樂團 、Gadung Kasturi 峇里島舞樂團 、及Hei Gu 中國擊樂團等合作 。表演足跡跨越歐美，包括英國大英博物館 、美國 Cal Performance 、及舊金山民族舞蹈節等。 目前居住法國，為獨立舞蹈工作者。

Wan-Chao was born and raised in Taiwan. Her parents, both teachers, had moved from Indonesia to Taiwan in the early sixties to attend university. At an early age, Wan-Chao received fine arts and classical piano training. She was selected to attend a pilot fine arts program in junior high school, but her heart was already leaning towards dancing.


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Chang continued to study music for 10 years throughout her college years, learning to play Er-Hu (二胡 , Chinese violin) and eventually conducted the Sheng Ching Chinese Music Orchestra (笙罄國樂社) and won the first prize of North Colleges Chinese Music Festival. Later on she also led Yah Feng Chinese Music Orchestra (雅風國樂團) at Feng Chia University and won the Grand Prize of Central Colleges Music Competition.

She graduated with a Bachelor in Management from Taichung Feng-Chia University in 1992. After working one year as a conference organizer, she decided to dedicate herself to dancing and started working as a full time Ballroom Dance instructor at the Star Dance Studio (世達舞蹈學苑) in Taipei, while giving international folk dance and ballroom dance instruction at Taiwan National University (台灣大學), Tah Tung Industrial College (大同工業技術學院), Asian Folk Dance Camp, and Taiwan College Ballroom Dance Camp. 

She moved to San Francisco in 1995 to further her artistic education and graduated with a BA Magna Cum Laude in Dance Ethnology from San Francisco State University (1999).  After further study in Chinese Dance at the Guang Dong Dance Academy (廣東舞院大專班) in 1999, she came back to SFSU where she graduated with a MA in Creative Arts (2001).


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During her time at SFSU, Wan-Chao became a teacher and principal dancer at the San Francisco Chinese Folk Dance Association and a founding member and lead dancer at the Harsanari Indonesian Dance Company. Following its performance at the 2001 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Harsanari was nominated for the Isadora Duncan Award. Wan-Chao was often invited to perform at events hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in San Francisco, one of the most prominent Indonesian government offices abroad.

After graduating, Wan-Chao accepted the position Dance Director of the Westwind International Folk Ensemble (2000-2002). Under her direction, the company has performed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including Dance Mission Theater, Kolo Festival, San Francisco State University, San Jose Museum of Art, and Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts. 

In 2005, she joined Ballet Afsaneh as a Principal Dancer, and has toured internationally and in the United States including British Museum in London, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Persian Iranian New Year Parade in New York. Ballet Afsaneh is a critically acclaimed performance ensemble presents the dance, music and poetry of the historic Silk Road regions of Central Asia. 

Followed her passion in celebrating the harmony of world dance and bringing her divers art forms discipline together, she founded Wan-Chao Dance in 2008 and debuted at the WestWave Dance Festival in San Francisco. Her works soon became noticeable, and was selected for San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival 2009, 2010 out of hundreds dance companies who auditioned, and was invited to present at the Cultural Encounters at the de Young Museum, Festival of the Silk Road, and Eve's Elixir.  In 2010, she received nomination for Outstanding Choreography by the Isadora Duncan Dance Award (Izzies) for the work "Follow the Footprints." 


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Chang has also performed with other various ensembles such as Gadung Kasturi Balinese Music and Dance, Lestari Indonesia, Gamelan Sekar Jaya - "the finest Balinese gamelan ensemble outside of Indonesia", and taught classes and workshops locally and internationally, including colleges and dance camp in Taiwan, Presidio Dance Theatre, San Francisco Chinese Folk Dance Association, San Francisco State University, Bandung Performing Arts High School in Indonesia, and San Francisco Asian Arts Museum.  

She has been very fortunate to study under many dance masters, such as Tompson WANG 王台生, Jenny CHO 周玉貞 (Ballroom), Rosie RADIATOR, 許仁上 (Tap), Wendy DIAMOND (Ballet), Cathleen MCCARTHY, Susan WHIPP (Modern), Albirda ROSE (Dunham), Alicia PIERCE (Jazz), Ivo AMBROSI, Yutan LIN, Wayne CHEN, Nora DINZELBACHER (Argentine Tango), Ni Ketut Arini Alit, Tjokorda Istri Putra Padmini, Kompiang METRI-DAVIES (Balinese), Dewi Galuh Sintosari, Danang Pamungkas, Anastasia Melati, Achmad Farmis, Diah Agustini, Leny Tri Astuti, Ninik Kunti Utami Lunde, Sri Susilowati (Javanese), Pandit Chitresh DAS, Antonia MINNECOLA (Kathak), Kaiwen YOU 游開文, Xiao-Ling QIAN 錢小玲, Peng WONG 王芃, Yue KAO 高樾 (Chinese), Josefina GUILLEN (Philippine), Sharlyn SAWYER (Central Asian), Rosa MONTOYA, Monica BERMUDEZ (Flamenco), Ahmet LULECI, Ercument KILIC (Tukish), Tineke VAN GEEL, Tom BOZIGIAN (Armanian), Nikoklay TSVETKOV,  Nina KAVARDJIKOVA, Ventzi SOTIROVE, Petur Georgiev ILIEV (Bulgarian), Hennie KORNINGS (Russian), Nicolass HILFERINK, Mihai DAVID (Romanian), Stephen KOTANSKY, Yves MOREAU (Balkan), Eugene CIEJKA, Rob DE VRIEND (Polish), Atanas KOLAROVSKI (Macedonian), Željko JERGAN (Croatian), Joseph Kaloyanides GRAZIOSI (Greek), Istvan Zoltan SZABO, Hedi Szatano SZEKELYNE, Jeno MOLNAR (Hungarian), Gema SANDOVAL (Mexican). 

Artistic Statement

Dance has been my medium for exploring my personal values, self-identifying, journeying toward cultural understanding, and connecting with people. 

"Who am I? What's my dance form?" From ballroom, folk, ethnic, ballet, jazz, modern to tap..... I was constantly seeking my roots until one day I found out my culture is a blend of many different layers. I was on a hunt for style and finally realized that I don't need to label my language. I would like to tell the journey of seeking values, searching for roots, and discovering a language beyond the barrier of verbal and written. 

From eye to eye, soul to soul, I want to move the audience with dance - the language I know. 

Noteworthy Presentation

Choreography