"I Shine because Kaohsiung Shines"Dancer Ms. Cai-E Li is honored as a National Treasure / 國寶級舞蹈家李彩娥 高雄亮起來，我也跟著亮起來
"I Shine because Kaohsiung Shines"
Dancer Ms. Cai-E Li is honored as a National Treasure
◎Text by Hsin-Yi Peng ◎Photos Courtesy of Chung-Hui Pao, Ya-Siang Wang, KOC
During the interview, it was hard not to be drawn in by Ms. Cai-E Li's infectious sense of humor and aura of happiness. She is very animated person, which added greatly to our conversation. It is certainly not hard to be charmed by the beloved star known as the "Grandmother Dancer". Ms. Li played the part of Mother Earth in the headlining dance "Formosa", performed at the opening ceremony of the World Games 2009. Her performance was nothing less than awe-inspiring.
During the opening ceremony, the 84-year-old "National Treasure" performed on a gigantic stage, which stood two stories high. She was completely unaffected by the height as she performed the 4-minute dance routine. Ms. Li is a perfectionist and will not stop rehearsing until she is completely satisfied with her performance.
In the interview she discussed some of the restraints of the Mother Earth costume. It was made in such a way she was not able to turn during the dance. It was because of this she was not able to face the audience. However, instead of this predicament limiting her, she incorporated it into the dance, which inspired some of her most elegant moves. The initiative paid off and the audience responded with a tremendous applause.
Ms. Li started dance lessons when she was seven, which became a lifelong pursuit and passion. She cheerfully stated, "I simply loved to dance!" Her son, Ren-wei (also a dancer) jokingly referred to her passion for dance as "dance cancer". Ms. Li heads up a long line of notable dancers in Taiwan.
Ms. Li's family moved to Japan when she was twelve and began formal dance training there. She became the first Taiwanese dancer to train in Japan and at sixteen, she entered Japan's first nationwide dance competition and won first place in the teenaged group category. This was particularly noteworthy, as she had choreographed the win, performed to the song "Pacific Ocean March". This was the beginning of a 40-50 year career as a teacher, choreographer and dancer. She created original performances and produced many dance productions. Her dance styles include ballet, folk dance, as well as her own unique style. Her use of Taiwanese folk music gives her dances exude a very strong local character. Ms. Li has passed her passion for dance down to her children and grandchildren and also still continues to dance herself. She claims this is her secret in maintaining her youthfulness, renewed energy and optimistic outlook. However, she laughed as she described herself as an old lady who is always running around after her children and grandchildren.
Ms. Li is an optimist and believes the most important thing in her life is the happiness and love she gets from her family. When she discusses her children, their spouses, and grandchildren, she simply radiates with happiness. She fondly described how wonderful it feels when they call her "Grandma!" In October, she will welcome her first great grand son. With this revelation, Ms. Li beamed and exclaimed: "I am the really most blessed person in the world!"
Ms. Li still often receives invitations to perform and has danced on all five continents. She is very appreciative of her good fortune and grateful she had the opportunity she got to perform in the Word Games 2009 Opening Ceremony. She admits she is used to dancing in theaters; however it was her first time dancing at an international sports event. Mrs. Li considered it a very special experience.
With her a lifetime of rich experiences, Ms. Li is definitely qualified to give advice. She believes that people should experience things personally, in order to truly feel or be touched in their own lives. The World Games was a moment in which she contributed to the city's history. When describing the World Games 2009 she exclaimed: "I shine because Kaohsiung shines."
國寶級舞蹈家李彩娥
高雄亮起來，我也跟著亮起來
◎文／王雅湘 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉．王雅湘．KOC
跟李彩娥老師談話很難不被她的幽默與快樂所感染，講話時舉手投足之間流露著無限的活力，這就是「阿嬤舞姬」的魅力，李老師在2009高雄世界運動會開幕當中表演主秀「福爾摩沙」象徵大地之母的角色，讓人驚艷。
開幕表演當中，這位84歲的國寶級舞蹈家，踩在高約兩層樓的巨型道具上，仍氣定神閒地展現優美的舞姿，呈現４分鐘的完美演出。要求完美的李老師表示，表演時，因為服裝的關係，使得她無法轉身到後方，將曼妙的姿態呈現予後方的觀眾，儘管如此，各界對於國寶級舞蹈家精湛地演出，報予最熱烈的掌聲。
７歲開始跳舞，從此舞蹈開啟了她的美麗人生，李老師總是開心地說「我就是愛跳舞呀！」，被同是舞蹈家的大兒子洪仁威笑稱得了舞癌。李彩娥老師是台灣第一代優秀舞蹈家，12歲隨父母遷往日本，接受舞蹈教育，成為台灣第一位赴日留學的舞蹈家，16歲參加全日本第一屆舞蹈比賽，以創作舞《太平洋進行曲》獲得少年組第一名。
李老師4、50年來從事教舞、編舞、創作，從不倦怠，除了芭蕾、民族舞蹈之外，她也創作許多舞作，並且運用台灣民謠編出本土化的作品。近年來，李老師將棒子慢慢地交給了子女與孫兒，不過她仍不斷地跳，以保有新細胞與新活力，擁有快樂的心情。她笑說自己總是在子女、孫兒後面追追追，追上時代的步伐，動起來脫離時代的脈動。
樂觀的李老師認為她的快樂，還有一個關鍵的因素就是來自於家人的疼愛，她開心地笑說，兒女、媳婦、女婿、孫子女呀，總是很關心她，"「阿嬤」長、「阿嬤」短，叫得她開心極了。而今年10月將添第一個曾孫，她又笑著說：「我真的是太幸福了。」。
李老師常受邀到各地演出，表演足跡遍及五大洲，李老師認為自己很幸運，可以參與世運的表演，因為過去的表演都是在舞蹈場合，在世運這樣國際性的體育競技場合表演，還是頭一遭，對李老師而言，是很特別的經驗。
李老師以豐富的人生經驗談到，經歷過才能有真正的感受與感動，對於參與世運會，和大家一起締造高雄體壇新頁，「高雄亮起來了，我也跟著亮起來了」李老師為世運會下了最佳註解。
李彩娥女士在高雄世運開幕時的表演
Ms. Cai-E Li's performance at the opening ceremony of The World Games 2009 Kaohsiung.
李彩娥女士
Ms. Chi-E Li