以身體演出自由－－蔡瑞月與台灣現代舞

Abstract

現代舞自從1930年代傳入台灣，期間台灣政權更易，歷經日本殖民和國民政府，冷戰期間受美援文化影響，再到本土文化崛起，已有八十多年。本文將透過蔡瑞月這位被譽為台灣現代舞之母的第一代舞蹈家，試圖論證台灣現代舞的歷史並非娛樂的歷史，而是追求身體自由與解放的過程。在寫作策略上，本文以蔡瑞月的生命史為主敘述線，帶出舞蹈發展的社會背景與政治因素。 人類歷史中，自由不斷地被當權者與保守勢力作為鬥爭的形式、工具與對象，而舞蹈因其與身心密不可分，向來是掌權者用以掌控人民的工具。因而現代舞的發展與台灣政治息息相關，戰爭、文藝政策和外來強權皆大大影響台灣現代舞蹈歷史的發展。現代舞自日治時期傳入，進入50年代遭受官方文藝政策打壓，在60年代因美援文化尋得突破的縫隙，並在70年代受外交挫敗影響而發展出融合現代西方與傳統東方特色的舞蹈。從日治到當代的這段現代舞歷史，即是身體自由的壓抑與爭取，兩股力量爭鬥的歷史。

80 years has passed since modern dance was introduced in Taiwan in 1930s. Taiwan had been colonized by Japan, and is governing by Nationalist government. During the cold-war period, Taiwan was influenced by U.S. Aid and culture. After that, the local culture sprang up, but there are only several works of history of Taiwan modern dance. By analyzing the first generation of dancer, Tsai Jui-yueh, who is called the mother of Taiwan modern dance, this essay tries to prove that the history of Taiwan modern dance is not the history of entertainment, but the process of pursuing the freedom of liberation of body. Besides, the writing skill tends to be chronicled: the story line is composed of Tsai Jui-yueh’s lifetime, and leading to the developing of dance, including the social context and political factors. Freedom is always the form, tool and object of struggling in human history. Because dance is strongly connected with body and mind, it is always the tool of governors to control people, too. The developing of modern dance is highly related to Taiwan politic environment. For example, the WWII, literary policy and foreign political power deeply influenced the history of Taiwan modern dance. It was introduced since Japanese colonized period, oppressed by literary policy in the 1950s, found a breakthrough because the U.S. Aid in the 1960s, and developed new works which combined modern Western style and traditional Eastern factors for the diplomacy defeat in the 1970s. The history of modern dance is the struggling of two powers: oppressing and fighting of body freedom.