Yu Hsiang Chen

For our readers who don’t know you, who is Yu Hsiang?

My name is Yu Hsiang Chen, and I’m a dancer and an artist from Taiwan. Most people call me Teacher Yu Hsiang.

對於不認識你的讀者，鈺翔是誰?

我叫陳鈺翔，一位來自台灣的舞蹈藝術家，大部分人都叫我鈺翔老師。

Dance is your way of expression, what is your process? 

When I dance, I don’t intentionally add feelings because my choreographies are already an extension of my inner emotions. When I interpret a dance, I would focus more on the beauty of body extension and challenge every limit that may not be ergonomic for the human body. Cognitive processing can trigger emotional responses, and I truly believe people who watch my choreography will feel the inner expression that I am trying to convey through my body.

舞蹈是你的表達方式，您的過程是什麼?

我在跳舞的時候，並不會刻意再加入感情，因為我所編的作品本身就已經是我內心情感的呈現，所以我在詮釋舞蹈的時候反而比較專注在肢體美學的延伸、挑戰不符合人體工學的各種極限，用舞蹈去呈現身體的各種可能性。透過視覺去觸動感情，我相信觀看我舞蹈作品的人，能夠感受到我透過身體所傳達的內心情感。

What kind of a relationship do you have with dancing, in particular dancing in heels?

I see dance as varying expressions of my other-self. Sometimes dancing makes me feel like a magician, where my heels serve as a medium for the magic trick. When I dance in heels, it becomes a part of my body. Instead of simply changing to another pair of shoes to dance, the dancer and the heels become one entity—that is what makes heel dance so fascinating.

你與舞蹈(尤其是高跟鞋)之間的關係如何?

舞蹈就像另一個我，不同層面的存在。有時候我覺得舞蹈就像變魔術，而高跟鞋就是我魔法的元素之一，穿高跟鞋跳舞時，我讓它成為我身體的一部分，而不是只換一雙鞋跳舞，人跟高跟鞋融為一體的呈現，是高跟鞋舞最令人著迷的部分。

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What I really enjoyed is the stiletto dance and your confidence. What is going through your mind during each choreography? 

I actually think about dance moves from the attraction of sex, because sex is the source of vitality, and so is dance. The high heels dance style I like is elegant, but at the same time there is a fatal attraction, so when choreographing, I think about what kind of body expression can convey such emotions.

看到你跳舞時，我真正感受的你的自信，在每次編舞過程中，您的內心在想些什麼？

我其實是從性的吸引力去發想舞蹈動作，因為性是生命力的來源，而舞蹈也是。我喜歡的高跟鞋舞風是優雅的，但同時又存在性的致命吸引力，所以編舞時我會思考什麼樣的肢體表達可以傳遞這樣的情緒。

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What is your perception of gender in dance?

For me, dance is non-binary. To a certain degree, men wearing high heels provide an element of surprise because it is often unexpected. However, the contrasts and androgynous aesthetic make the dance even more attractive.

您對舞蹈中的性別有什麼看法？

對我而言，舞蹈是無性別的，並沒有性別的界限，但男生穿高跟鞋跳舞有一種性別刻板印象的反差，這樣雌雄同體的反差感也讓舞蹈更有魅力，某種層面而言，男人穿高跟鞋也有性別優勢。

Our second issue of Timid, centers around the theme of Metamorphosis. How do you define metamorphosis?

You are the sum of the different experiences life has thrown your way. From my own experience, it takes time to "transform." It took me a long time and through deep dormancy to accumulate the type of energy through my profession that shaped who I am today.

您如何定義“改變/變形”一詞?

人生會經歷很多事情，累積成現在的你。從我自己的人生經驗來說，「蛻變」一定需要時間，有長時間的專業能量的累積、也經歷過沈潛蟄伏，才蛻變成現在的我。

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What are you most passionate about this year?

Looking back, I would have never imagined becoming who I am today. Over the past year, I dedicated most of my time solely to dance. This year, I’m trying to keep that momentum and focus on my passion for dancing and teaching.

My main goal is to do the best at what I love without thinking too much about the outcome. Of course, sometimes I also think of other avenues of expression—for example, I also like to sing. So who knows, maybe one day I will suddenly become a singer. [laughs]

你對今年有什麼期待?

回想一年前的我，其實完全沒有想過我能成為現在的模樣，去年一整年，我幾乎一心只專注在舞蹈上，今年的我跟去年的我也是一樣，仍然會持續專注在我最愛的舞蹈藝術跟教學創作上。不去想太多結果，盡力做自己熱愛的事情就是我對今年的期許。

當然有時候我也會想，我也喜歡唱歌，所以說不定哪天會突然成為歌手(笑)。