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       TAI身體劇場2012年由太魯閣族原住民藝術家瓦旦．督喜創立，成員來自台灣東部太魯閣、排灣、卑南等族青年，在花蓮市農兵橋下搭設的鐵皮屋「工寮」實驗探索原住民新的身體語彙。

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       TAI，源於太魯閣族語，意思是「看」、「瞧」，是藝術總監瓦旦對原住民傳統文化的凝望與反思：「除了傳統祭儀或觀光化表演，原住民樂舞還有新的可能嗎？」他花了兩年時間田野研究，找出腳與土地的關係，記錄下六十多式「腳譜」，再透過每一次的創作解構、重組，產生新的身體與舞蹈形式。

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       TAI身體劇場雖然年輕，但瓦旦在原舞者舞團累積十多年演出及創作經驗，創團後爆發出更大的能量，作品風格多元，觸及原住民文學、身體與音樂、身體與環境衝突等議題，曾受邀參加英國愛丁堡藝穗節、印尼日惹國際藝術節開幕演出。新作《橋下那個跳舞》入圍2016台新藝術獎。

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      Tai Body Theater was founded by the indigenous Truku artist Watan Tusi in 2012. Having members from indigenous tribes in eastern Taiwan, the troupe explores new languages of the indigenous body in a block-house in Hualien.

                     

      Tai means “look” or “see” in the Truku language. Watan wants to see how indigenous dance and music can be given new possibilities. He has conducted field studies to explore the connections between the feet and the land and recorded more than 60 “feet scripts.” In so doing, new body languages and dance forms start to emerge through the process.

 

      The theater has touched on issues such as indigenous literatures and the relationship between the body and music/environmental conflicts. It has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the UK and the Jogja International Performance Art Festival in Indonesia. Its work Dancing around the World has been nominated for the 2016 Taishin Arts Awards.