The upcoming Presidential Office Concert to cheer on Taiwanese athletes competing in the Paris Olympics will include a unique combined performance from Shih Hsin University’s cheerleading team with Okinawa’s Nishihara High School Marching Band.
Both halves of the newly formed world-class performance team are international champions in their own right. The Taiwan Shih Hsin University Cheerleading Team has amassed a slew of national and international awards since its establishment 20 years ago. In 2022, the Nishihara High School Marching Band won first place at the World Music Competition in the Netherlands, hailed as the “Olympics of Music.”
General Association of Chinese Culture Secretary-General Li Hou-ching (李厚慶) revealed that their performance will feature anime songs popular among Taiwanese and Japanese audiences, echoing this year’s selected “Power of Freedom” theme, and demonstrating friendship between the nations. Li said they will take advantage of the height difference between the stages to display powerful stunts, formations, and dance with rich auditory accompaniment.
Taiwan Shih Hsin University Cheerleading Team head coach Lee Min-ling (李敏玲) said that the Presidential Office Concert is more than just a concert; it’s a national movement that integrates sports, culture, and performing arts. Lee shared that the team is honored to be invited and is looking forward to the performance.
The Presidential Office Concert is free, open to the public, and will take place on July 20 at the National Theater and Concert Hall main plaza in Taipei.