Hung Dance
Named after the chinese word "hung (翃)" in the aspiration to fly
Named after the chinese word "hung (翃)" in the aspiration to fly
Hung Dance is a Taiwanese contemporary dance company founded in 2017, led by choreographer LAI Hung-chung as Artistic Director. The company’s name, “HUNG (翃),” means to “soar,” reflecting its artistic vision.
Drawing inspiration from the poetry of daily life, HUNG DANCE translates inner emotion and physical states into dance, sensitive to the quiet relationships between bodies, communities, and the world they move through. Its creations blend elements of Tai Chi and Peking Opera with contemporary thought and physicality, cultivating a distinctive and evolving choreographic vocabulary.
The British newspaper, The Scotsman, has praised the company as “elegant yet powerful, distinctly personal yet deeply moving… one of the purest and most captivating examples of contemporary dance.” Their work SEE YOU received five five-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Since its founding, HUNG DANCE has brought its work to audiences in over 230 performances across 19 countries and 46 cities. This includes sold-out performances of SEE YOU (2022) and BIRDY (2023) at the Festival Off Avignon, both warmly received by audiences and critics alike.
To nurture the next generation of dance artists, the company also established the “Stray Birds Dance Platform”—an initiative that supports young international choreographers and actively builds global connections, bringing fresh vitality into Taiwan’s contemporary dance landscape.
BIRDY
A universal outcry for liberation—stretching from the personal to the political. Dark, yet dazzling; silent, yet thunderously resonant.
The Peter Pan
Commissioned by the National Taichung Theater, this reimagining of Peter Pan casts every character as Peter Pan—blurring gendered archetypes and tenderly exploring the emotional currents of growing up. A dance for all who continue to grow within their inner worlds.
BIRDY
BIRDY, a captivating dance piece by LAI Hung-chung, explores the interplay of freedom and limitations within Taiwan’s communities. LAI delves into the subtle influences of emotions and historical echoes on social harmony through a blend of societal dynamics and personal narratives. Using a cage and dreamer metaphor, LAI bridges personal struggles with broader societal contexts. The deconstruction of traditional Chinese opera props, like the spear transformed into a cage-like “Rattan pole,” symbolizes life’s constraints. Incorporating the “Ling Zi” pheasant feathers, traditionally signifying warrior might, LAI reinterprets their meaning to empower individuals to redefine their consciousness. This exploration of freedom and self-awareness is visually depicted through the imagery of the “Ling Zi,” subtly suggesting life’s delicate balance between limitations and aspirations.
Set to an eclectic mix of electronic and Chinese classical music, BIRDY reinterprets percussion and seamlessly blends Tai-chi with contemporary dance. It portrays the journey from tradition to modernity and conveys a powerful message that in this era, we can redefine class, freedom, and limitations while seeking balance and identity.
BIRDY
Creative Team
Artistic Director and Choreographer｜LAI Hung-chung
Rehearsal Director｜CHENG I-han
Composer｜HSU Chia-wei
Technical Director and Lighting
Designer｜TSAI Chao-yu
Costume Designer｜Summer LIN
Prop Construction｜CHOU Kuan-chih
International PR｜Damon WANG
Company Manager & Production Coordinator｜CHEN Yuan-yu
Copywriting｜Fion LEE
Sponsor｜Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Performers｜CHENG I-han, LEE Kuan-ling, LU Ying-chieh, WU Shin-jie, HO Tzu-wen, CHEN Ting-yu, HUANG Li-chieh, XIA Zhen-wei
BIRDY, a sublime choreography.
—Youness Bousenna, La Provence
“Boundless” [of which “BIRDY” is derived from] is a rich and dark exploration of the struggle and conflict between what Freud described as the id, ego and superego in his model of the psyche.
—David Mead, SeeingDance
In “Boundless”, Hung further explores the pull between the self and the super-self; the search for freedom and the limitations of life.
—Diane Baker, Taipei Times
US (TBC)
Europe Tour
US and Canada
April 6th - 11th: Brazil
April 16th - 21st: London
June: American Dance Festival, Durham, North Carolina, USA (TBC)
Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide, Australia
Masdanza, Canary Islands, Spain
Théâtre de l’île, Nouvelle-Calédonie, France
Spazio Teatro No’hma Teresa Pomodoro, Milano, Italy
See You
Formless Erosion
