I Wan Jan Puppet 2016 US tour in MIchigan
Telling the events of one thousand years and conjuring up one million soldiers with 10 fingers
Hand Puppet
Hand puppetry (also called glove puppetry) is a folk art unique to Taiwan. Hand puppetry had deeply rooted in Taiwan since the late 17th century and reached its peak popularity in the late 1940’s and 1950’s when no celebration or ceremony was considered complete without a puppet show. Today, the torch of the art of hand puppetry has been handed down to younger generations to carry on the unique storytelling tradition.
The attributes of hand puppetry include puppets, a stage, costumes, music, and a script, and are greatly influenced by folk arts such as carving (puppet heads and wooden stages), embroidery (costumes), music, and literature. A traditional puppet performance is characterized by its exquisite and subtle movements, elegant language, and live music.
I Wan Jan 2016 US tour
I Wan Jan has performed on an invitation-basis around the globe since 1971, most recently in11 Mexico cities in 2015. Their performances are often seen at international puppet festivals. Besides cultivating the general public’s appreciation for traditional puppetry, I Wan Jan is fully committed to training new generations of puppeteers through apprenticeships, adult education classes, and extracurricular activities in elementary schools.
I Wan Jan will be visiting New York , Ann Arbor, and Houston in 2016 (May 20 -30) and performing the acclaimed “A Chance Encounter Leads to Marriage” (巧遇姻緣).
I Wan Jan Puppet Theator
Founded by Tien-Lu Li (李天祿) in 1931, I Wan Jan (亦宛然) is one of the finest hand puppet troupes in Taiwan and around the world. The name “I Wan Jan” describes the vivid, life-like hand puppet movements when controlled by their skillful masters. Master Li was famous for the feat of “telling the events of one thousand years and conjuring up one million soldiers with 10 fingers”. Although he was fluent in both southern and northern styles of folk drama music, Master Li was also credited for creating a new style of music called “Wai Jiang School” by blending rich Beijing Opera elements with the traditional Northern Style of folk drama music. He led I Wan Jan to winning the championship in Taiwan’s National Hand Puppetry Show Contest’s north division for the first time in 1953 and continued retained the title of reigning champion for 20 consecutive years. After his passing in 1998, many of Master Li’s work have been digitized for future generations to enjoy (http://ltl.gac.ntnu.edu.tw/). His vision, persistence, and efforts in the authentic, traditional puppetry have kept this art form alive today.