Siu Wang-Ngai, Simon

Still Life at the Penguin Café is a unique and thought-provoking ballet that blends humor, charm, and a powerful ecological message. The ballet is structured as a series of vignettes, each featuring a different endangered species portrayed by dancers in whimsical, stylized costumes.

The ballet begins with the “Great Auk”, a now-extinct bird, setting the tone for what follows—a poignant reminder of the fragility of life. Each subsequent scene introduces an animal threatened by human activity or environmental destruction, such as the Humboldt’s hog-nosed skunk flea, the Texan kangaroo rat, and the rainforest-dwelling Southern Cape zebra. The animals are portrayed with a blend of human and animal characteristics, creating a surreal and touching connection between species.

The final scene brings all the characters together in a symbolic “ark” as a torrential flood engulfs the stage, alluding to climate change and rising sea levels. With a mix of playful movement, folk-inspired music, and a gentle but urgent message, Still Life at the Penguin Café invites audiences to reflect on biodiversity, conservation, and the shared fate of all life on Earth.

《企鵝茶居》是一部鼓吹環保的芭蕾舞劇。整部作品通過一系列風格各異的片段呈現，每一幕都以一種瀕危動物為主角。舞者身著誇張而富有創意的服裝，融合了人類與動物的特徵，充滿幽默感與象徵意味。

舞劇以“巨海雀”開場，這是一種已經滅絕的鳥類，為整部作品奠定了感傷而警醒的基調。隨後陸續登場的還有諸如洪堡豚鼠蚤、德州袋鼠、以及生活在熱帶雨林中的南非斑馬等瀕危動物。每一段舞蹈都通過輕快或溫柔的動作，展現這些生物與自然環境的密切關係，同時揭示它們因人類活動而面臨的生存危機。

在最後一幕中，所有角色齊聚一堂，仿佛登上象徵希望與救贖的“諾亞方舟”。舞臺被象徵海嘯的洪水淹沒，暗示氣候變遷與海平面上升的威脅。《企鵝茶居》以其融合幽默與悲憫的方式，引發觀眾對生態保護與生命共同體的深刻思考。