Student Blog: Talking to Second year Chih-Yuan Yang about life in Taiwan

What’s life like in Taiwan just now?

I am glad to say that at the moment COVID-19 has been controlled well in Taiwan. Life goes on almost as normal without any lockdown. In spite of the success, residents are still following the restrictions very carefully. For example, everyone who takes public transport has to wear a face mask and follow social distancing rules. Indoor events with more than 100 people or outdoor events over 500 people are not allowed.

What is helping you to stay connected to Rambert School?

There is quite a lot of things that help me stay connected to school and keep my training going, such as the virtual timetable and the upcoming digital showcase. Also, I find the one-to-one tutorials and the focus group meetings really do keep everyone connected; they provide a chance for our voices to be heard.

How are you keeping active?

I am keeping my mind and body active by taking not only the classes that school provides but also workshops offered by artists and companies over the world, such as NDT, Batsheva and the Dutch National Ballet. I especially thank all the staff at Rambert School for creating virtual classes to suit the different time zones so that students are still able to share our moments and dance together.

Why did you choose to train at Rambert School?

I have always wanted to become a professional dancer, however I also wanted to study for a degree. Therefore, I managed to find Rambert School that provides both a bachelor degree and technical training in both ballet and contemporary equally. London is a wonderful location where I can connect with other European countries easily, which I hope will give me more opportunities when I start looking for companies.

How would you describe the feeling of community/family at Rambert School?

In my opinion, from the bottom of my heart, Rambert School is my second home. Rambert School is such a special environment that is different from the most other universities. I enjoy dancing, hanging out with my peers inside/ outside of school, I feel luckily to have met students to share my passion to dance.  It feels small and like home.  We connect with and support each other easily, even across the year groups. Moreover, I feel extremely safe and supported when I go talk to the staff at school; I feel able to share some of the funniest moments in my life! For me personally, Rambert School is not only a place to pursue my professional training, but it is also my family.

What are you looking forward to most when you return to school?

I am looking forward to literally everything at this point. I am extremely excited to bring YIDAM by Ihsan Rustem to the stage. This was planned for June as part of the School’s centenary celebrations but I hope we can perform it when possible. Honestly, I just miss everyone and everything at school and look forward to returning to the UK soon.