This visually arresting and deeply moving production tells the story of a community suddenly confronted by the immense power of wind and waves, awakening a heightened awareness of how far they have drifted from nature. 

Tjimur Dance Theatre, Taiwan’s premier contemporary dance company, is dedicated to exploring and expressing the identity of the indigenous Paiwan people. 

Choreographed by Baru Madiljin, bulabulay mun? / how are you? draws on the historic Mudan shipwreck incident of 1874 – a traumatic chapter in Taiwanese history, to reflect on the relationship between human actions and their unforeseen consequences. 

Through an interplay of traditional Mudan songs and dance, bulabulay mun? seeks to heal historical wounds and revive ancestral memory, embodying the resilience and spirit of the Paiwan people. At its heart is a poetic meditation on our elemental connection to the world, an invitation to attune our senses and rediscover our place within nature. 

A specially filmed of bulabulay mun? shot on location in South Taiwan will screened Barbican Cinema on Sunday 12 October as part of Dance Umbrella Film Series: Sunday Shorts, and will be available to watch via the Digital Pass.

£10 tickets

At Dance Umbrella we understand that cost can be a barrier, so we’ve made a limited number of £10 tickets available for every Dance Umbrella show.

To access £10 tickets, click here.

  • Ljuzem MADILJIN

    Artistic Director

  • Baru MADILJIN

    Dance Director & Choreographer

Watch trailer

Gallery

Live performance

UK Premiere

  • Venue: The Place
  • Date: Tue 21 - Wed 22 October 2025, 7.30pm
  • Admission: Tickets £20, £16

£10 tickets: Limited number available for every DU show! Access tickets here.

Duration: 1 hour (no interval)

Age guidance: 7+

Content: This performance contains haze

Additional events:
Post-show talk, Tue 21 Oct
Free for same day ticket holders
BSL interpreted

Dance Umbrella Festival 2025 Across London & Online
2 - 31 October

Book Tickets

Credit Jun-yong LIN, Ba Sa-xi

The Place logoMinistry of Culture Taiwan logo

About the company +

Tjimur Dance Theatre was founded in 2006 in Timur, a Paiwan community in Sandimen Township, Pingtung. It is the first professional contemporary dance company in Taiwan dedicated to exploring and expressing Paiwan identity through movement. Recognised as one of Taiwan’s top performing arts groups for fifteen consecutive years, the company is led by Artistic Director Ljuzem Madiljin and Dance Director Baru Madiljin. 

With the development of a unique movement methodology known as Tjimur Physical Skills, the company transforms Paiwan cultural memory into contemporary body language, giving shape and voice to the spirit of a living tradition. 

Over the past nineteen years, Tjimur has staged more than 150 performances across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, appearing at renowned platforms such as the Cervantino International Festival (Mexico), GUIdance Festival (Portugal), and TANZ – Munich International Dance Festival (Germany). 

Their innovative work has earned them nominations for the Total Theatre Awards (UK) and the Taishin Arts Award (Taiwan). In 2018, they launched the Tjimur Arts Festival and the cultural initiative In-depth Exploration of Timur, intertwining community, tradition, and contemporary creation. 

Cast & Creative +

  • Ljuzem MADILJIN
    Artistic Director
  • Baru MADILJIN
    Choreographer & Costume Designer
  • Ching-hao YANG, Ljaucu TAPURAKAC
    Rehearsal Directors and Performers
  • Sheng-hsiang CHIANG, Tzu-en MENG, Zepulj KAZANGILAN
    Performers
  • I-shun LEE
    Technical Coordinator & Lighting Designer
  • Hung-chun WANG
    Visual Image Designer
  • Jun-yong LIN, Ba Sa-xi
    Style Photographers
  • Xiao-hui WANG, De-sheng YE, the people from Mudan Township
    Traditional Song Instructors
  • Maurice LAI Yu-man (HoShunKing Artistic Workshop)
    Director of Photography & Programme Supervisor
  • Bi-yun MAI, Lazurite SHATAO
    Costume Production
  • Zhen-xia WENG
    Copywriting
  • Wei-yu HUANG
    Video & Sound Engineer
  • Yu-fei HUANG
    Lighting Technical Coordinator
  • Jhih-jie HUANG
    Sports Massage Therapist
  • Shu-ting CHIU
    Company Manager
  • Jih-wen YEH
    International Project Producer

Credits +

The production of this show is commissioned by the Pingtung County Government, Taiwan
Adviser- Ministry of Culture, Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Taiwan
Organiser – Pingtung County Government, Taiwan
Performer – Tjimur Dance Theatre
Special thanks to the people from Mudan Township
Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan

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