CULTURE:
The Aug. 30 event would feature the Rakuten Girls, Third Prince dancers, interactive activities and a Taiwanese twist on the NatPack
By Esme Yeh / Staff writer, with CNA
Taiwan Heritage Day, hosted by the Washington Nationals, would be held on Aug. 30 at Nationals Park in Washington, featuring performances by cheerleaders from Taiwanese professional baseball team the Rakuten Monkeys, as well as dancers portraying the Taoist folk deity the Third Prince (三太子哪吒)
Known as the Rakuten Girls, the cheerleaders are to perform Taiwanese-style baseball cheerleading to five different songs at the event, featuring Linda (琳妲), Nina (穎樂), Ying (岱縈), Chloe (小紫), Yuhi (筠熹), Galin (嘎琳), Tanya (若潼) and Chuchu (曲曲).
Organized by Millennial Global Youth (MGY) in partnership with the Nationals, the event builds on last year’s trial run and has been expanded to offer 1,000 premium ticket packages.
Photo: CNA
The organizers said that more cultural elements have been incorporated this year to encourage US fans to learn more about Taiwan through the lens of baseball.
“Both Taiwan and the US have a thriving baseball culture, but the key difference lies in different cheerleading styles,” MGY founder Tang Po-yu (唐伯禹) said. “We hope to provide US spectators with firsthand experience” of Taiwanese-style cheerleading.
Taiwanese cultural elements would also be included in the NatPack — a fan-interactive team that represents the Nationals at most games in Nationals Park — and the Racing Presidents, a popular sideshow in which mascots of former US presidents don Nationals jerseys and race around the field.
Photo: CNA
The opening act would feature Third Prince dancers, diabolo performers and Taiwanese music bands, while cultural exchange booths would offer hands-on activities such as calligraphy, moon block tossing and fortune stick drawing, open to ticketed and non-ticketed visitors.
The trial run last year sold 600 premium ticket packages — 300 more than the initial goal.
“The Nationals said it was one of the bestselling trial runs in Nationals history, so they were eager to explore further collaborations,” Taiwan Heritage Day organizer Lee Hou (侯立宸) said.
Photo courtesy of the Rakuten Monkeys
Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America president Eugenia Pai (白越珠) said that Taiwan Day events have been held across the US and expressed hope to make them a regular annual event nationwide through partnerships with more local overseas Taiwanese groups.
MGY said that it is also planning a “Taiwan Night” in potential cooperation with the National Basketball Association, with the goal of establishing a lasting presence for Taiwanese cultural events in the US sports scene and to share Taiwanese culture with mainstream American audiences.
Founded by Taiwanese residents in Washington, the MGY is dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and fostering connections across communities, it said.