tom tsai

A Fantasy of Going Home is a contemporary dance solo that continuously evolves and reacts to the shifting present-day politics of Taiwan's place in the world. This piece draws directly from my upbringing as an advocate for Taiwan's independence, sources from Breakin’ aesthetics and Hip Hop performance sensibilities, and critiques the complicity of dominant political powers. The performance evokes the resilience and endurance necessary when faced with narratives of imminent war.

Premiered February 2017.

Press

• Tsai has a unique way of allowing an audience to see themselves through his eyes by pointing out our social and political hypocrisies. - Jeff Slayton, SeeDance.com

• Although he usually strives not to directly lift movement from his hip-hop background, this time, he wanted to reflect the aggression and defensiveness of the break-dance aesthetic. “This dance is not only a reflection of personal histories, but also of the histories of the cultures that I engage in.” - Olivia Ho, The Straits Times

• A Fantasy of Going Home is choreographed with patience, using the entire duration to slowly unearth the life and emotions that exist beneath the news clips. In an era where turning on the radio means tuning into the latest monstrosities of the world, we’re desensitized to the actual lives of those who the headlines effect. Tsai’s work brings the humanity of the Taiwanese people within feet of the audience members, instead of an ocean away. His raw and encompassing movement opens a window into the marginalized communities he is a part of. - Elizabeth Whelan, Oregon ArtsWatch
  

Performances

• November 5-7, 2021 — Union PDX Festival of Contemporary Dance @ Hampton Opera Center, Portland, OR

• August 14, 2021 — International Contemporary Dance Festival of Mexico City (FIDCDMX) @ Teatro Raúl Flores Canelo CENART, Mexico City, Mexico

• September 27, 2019 — The Hybrid Lab: Conversations in Merging Dance Cultures @ The Vortex, Los Angeles, CA

• August 29, 2019 — performance + presentation @ Pomona College, Claremont, CA

• June 17, 2019 — California Rehabilitation Center, Norco, CA

• November 5, 2018 — Movement Research @ Judson Memorial Church, New York, NY

• September 7, 2018 — High Voltage @ Electric Lodge, Venice, CA

• July 20, 2018 — M1 Contact Contemporary Dance Festival @ Esplanade Studio Theatre, Singapore

• May 7, 2017 — Los Angeles Dance Festival @ Diavolo Space, Los Angeles, CA 

• April 29, 2017 — Breakin’ Convention @ Sadler’s Wells (Lilian Baylis Studio), London, UK

• March 23, 2017 — Movement Speaks: Voices in a Changing World@ Pendleton Dance Center, Pomona College, Claremont, CA

• March 4-5, 2017 — International Human Rights Art Festival @ Dixon Place, New York, NY

• February 24-25, 2017 — Moving Forward…dances in dire times @ Miles Memorial Playhouse, Santa Monica, CA