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Hung Dance: Birdy

NOV 21–22, 2025 | Cullen Theater, Wortham Center

Duration: 60 minutes, with no intermission

LAI Hung-chung, Artistic Director and Choreographer

PERFORMERS

CHENG I-han

LEE Kuan-ling

LU Ying-chieh

PRODUCTION TEAM

HSU Chia-wei, Composer

Wu Shin-jie

HO Tzu-wen

CHEN Ting-yu

TSAI Chao-yu, Technical Director and Lighting Designer

Summer LIN, Costume Designer

SUNG Yung-hung, Tour Lighting Designer

KO Ya-yun, Technical Coordinator

CHOU Kuan-chih, Prop Construction

CHEN Wei-ping, Touring Manager

Fion LEE, Copywriting

ABOUT HUNG DANCE

HUNG DANCE is a Taiwanese contemporary dance company founded in 2017 by Artistic Director and choreographer LAI Hung-chung. Inspired by the word “Hung ( ),” the company’s name reflects its aspiration to soar. Focusing on annual productions, international collaboration, and tours, HUNG DANCE also organizes the Stray Birds Dance Platform to foster choreographers’ creativity and connect emerging artists with global resources.

The company has received numerous awards for its exceptional choreographic pieces, including Watcher, BIRDY, and Push and Pull in renowned competitions and festivals worldwide. It has also embarked on an extensive international tour, captivating audiences across Europe, Asia, America, and Africa with over two hundred mesmerizing performances.

HUNG DANCE’s performances are a unique blend of traditional and contemporary elements, inviting audiences to interpret, imagine, and embrace dance’s timeless beauty. LAI Hung-chung’s choreography delves into human emotions and the connection between culture and nature. By seamlessly blending elements of Chinese opera, mythology, and Tai Chi with contemporary concepts, he has created a unique dance vocabulary and training system that is sure to intrigue and captivate.

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ABOUT 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 Peking 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 selfawareness 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.

LAI HUNG-CHUNG, CHOREOGRAPHER

LAI Hung-chung graduated from Taipei National University of the Arts’ Department of Dance. In 2016, he participated in the Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Creative Dance Competition, clinching a gold medal, 2 outstanding awards, and one excellent award with 4 dance creations to become the first ever choreographer to receive 4 awards at the same time in the competition’s history. In 2025, his work Push and Pull received the First Prize and Audience Prize at the Hannover International Choreography Competition, as well as four partner awards at RIDCC: Nederlands Dans Theater, FORM Dance Projects, Codarts Rotterdam, and TanzLabor ROXY Ulm.

After founding HUNG DANCE, he placed emphasis on cultivating the dancers’ abilities and developing inspirations for dance pieces. He devised innovative ways to train the company based on the creative concept and needs, as well as searched for a balance between contemporary thinking and dance. In addition, he has devoted himself to a wide range of international collaborations and new talent development programs in the hope of expanding the diverse dance scene.

CHENG I-HAN, PERFORMER

A native of Keelung, CHENG I-han graduated from the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA) and earned her master’s degree from TNUA’s Graduate Institute of Dance. She joined HUNG DANCE in 2017 and now serves as a full-time dancer and Rehearsal Director.

CHENG has performed in many of LAI Hung-chung’s award-winning works, including BIRDY and Watcher, and appeared in the company’s annual productions Boundless, Out of Elegant, SEE YOU, Formless Erosion, Hug, The Peter Pan, Glanced Crack, and MITICI. As a principal dancer, she has toured extensively across Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Estonia, the United States, Côte d’Ivoire, Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

In 2019, CHENG created and performed her short solo work Trapped, which was selected for the first edition of the Stray Birds Platform and later invited to the New Dance for Asia International Festival in South Korea. In 2020, she expanded this work into the full-length solo No. Me, which has been staged at the National Theater’s Experimental Theater, the National Taichung Theater’s Black Box, and the Kaohsiung Experimental Theater.

LEE KUAN-LING, PERFORMER

A native of Taipei, LEE Kuan-ling graduated from the Department of Dance at the National Taiwan University of Arts, College of Performing Arts, and joined HUNG DANCE in 2020.

With the company, he has performed in Boundless, SEE YOU, Formless Erosion, Hug, BIRDY, The Peter Pan, Glanced Crack, and MITICI by Italian choreographer Giovanni INSAUDO. Beyond HUNG DANCE, he has also appeared in projects such as Cloud Gate’s Art Makers Project, the Young Stars New Vision initiative, and the Kuandu Arts Festival.

In 2020, LEE collaborated with new media artists on Order from Chaos, which won the Silver Award and the S-An Aesthetics Award at the Ministry of Culture Taiwan’s Taiwan Creative Dance Competition. In 2021, he performed in María de Buenos Aires, a tango operita by Astor PIAZZOLLA, co-produced by the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and City Contemporary Dance Company.

Since 2022, LEE has toured internationally with HUNG DANCE, performing SEE YOU and BIRDY in more than 70 shows at major festivals, including the Avignon Off Festival (France), Taiwan Season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (UK), the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Australia), and the American Dance Festival (USA).

LU YING-CHIEH, PERFORMER

A native of Kaohsiung, LU Ying-chieh graduated from the Dance Division at Tsoying Senior High School and the Department of Dance at the National Taiwan University of Arts. She joined HUNG DANCE as a full-time dancer in 2020.

Her performances with the company include Boundless, SEE YOU, Formless Erosion, Resist, Insistence of Beauty, Hug, BIRDY, The Peter Pan, Glanced Crack, and MITICI by Italian choreographer Giovanni INSAUDO.

While she was still a student, she performed in Pulcinella as part of the Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival’s Youth Music and Dance Program. In 2021, she was invited as a guest dancer for HORSE’s Freesteps – 2 Dancers, 8 Hours, and also appeared in María de Buenos Aires, co-produced by the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and City Contemporary Dance Company.

Since 2022, LU has toured internationally with HUNG DANCE, performing SEE YOU and BIRDY in more than 70 shows at major festivals, including the Avignon Off Festival (France), Taiwan Season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (UK), the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Australia), and the American Dance Festival (USA).

WU SHIN-JIE, PERFORMER

A native of Chiayi, WU Shin-jie graduated from the Dance Division at Tsoying Senior High School and the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts. She joined HUNG DANCE as a full-time dancer in 2020.

Her performances with the company include BIRDY, SEE YOU, Formless Erosion, Resist, Hug, The Peter Pan, Glanced Crack, and MITICI by Giovanni INSAUDO. WU also appeared in Eight Pains by CHIEN Lin-yi, which received the Silver Award at the Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Creative Dance Competition, as well as in CHIEN’s Still Tomorrow, presented by Chiayi New Style Choreography.

In 2021, she performed in María de Buenos Aires, a tango operita by Astor PIAZZOLLA, co-produced by the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and City Contemporary Dance Company.

Since 2022, WU has toured internationally with HUNG DANCE, performing SEE YOU and BIRDY in 73 shows at major festivals including the Avignon Off Festival (France), the Taiwan Season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (UK), the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Australia), and the American Dance Festival (USA).

HO TZU-WEN, PERFORMER

A native of Kaohsiung, HO Tzu-wen graduated from the Dance Division at Tsoying Senior High School and the Department of Dance at the National Taiwan University of Arts. She joined HUNG DANCE in 2021.

Her performances with the company include Formless Erosion, SEE YOU, Resist, Hug, BIRDY, The Peter Pan, Glanced Crack, and MITICI by Giovanni INSAUDO. HO also premiered her solo work Wander in Shallow at the inaugural edition of the Stray Birds Dance Platform.

While still a student, she participated in Island Through Time at the Greater Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Arts and performed in CHIEN Lin-yi’s Eight Pains, which received the Silver Award at the Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Creative Dance Competition.

Since 2022, HO has toured internationally with HUNG DANCE, performing SEE YOU and BIRDY in 73 shows at major festivals, including the Avignon Off Festival (France), the Taiwan Season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (UK), the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Australia), and the American Dance Festival (USA).

CHEN TING-YU, PERFORMER

A native of Kaohsiung, born in 2000, CHEN Ting-yu graduated from the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts and joined HUNG DANCE in 2023.

With the company, she has performed in BIRDY, The Peter Pan, Glanced Crack, and MITICI by Italian choreographer Giovanni INSAUDO. In 2024, she performed BIRDY at the American Dance Festival (ADF).

CHEN has also appeared in works by leading choreographers, including SANG Jijia’s Matchstick Man, ZHANG Xiaoxiong’s The Floating Life, and LOU Menghan’s Black Dreams. As a choreographer, she created Manman and Borrowed Dream Field. Her co-created work Somewhere Over the Rainbow was selected for the 3rd edition of the Stray Birds Dance Platform in 2021. She was later invited to participate in the 2023 Dance Shoes project, where she co-created and performed the piece Daytime

HUANG LI-CHIEH, PERFORMER

A native of Taipei, HUANG Li-chieh graduated from the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts. He joined HUNG DANCE in 2024 and performed BIRDY at the American Dance Festival (ADF) that same year.

From 2014 to 2023, HUANG was a full-time dancer with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, performing under the artistic directorships of both LIN Hwai-min and CHENG Tsung-lung. He played major roles in numerous productions, including LIN’s Pine Smoke, Moon Water, Formosa, and Legacy; CHENG’s Sounding Light, 13 Tongues, and Send in a Cloud; and TAO Ye’s 12

In addition to his work as a performer, HUANG has also contributed to dance education. In 2020, he led workshops such as “Micro-dangerous Movements” and “Yumboera” in collaboration with Taipei Movement Culture, and in 2024, he taught “Winter Dance Practice.” He has also studied Capoeira with Capoeira Mandinga Taiwan.

XIA ZHEN-WEI, PERFORMER

A native of Taichung, XIA Zhen-wei graduated from the Department of Dance at the National Taiwan University of Arts, College of Performing Arts. He joined HUNG DANCE in 2025 and is also a member of 01 Dance.

His original works have been selected for the Stray Birds Dance Platform, Dance Now Asia Festival, the TDF NTUA Choreography Showcase, and the Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Creative Dance Competition. Notable pieces include océan, Deed, Betel Nut, and I Believe in Time.

XIA has performed in YAO Shu-fen’s Incubating Dreams III: 2023 The Illusion of Reality, Dimo Kirilov’s A Song Not Written for Anyone, and 01 Dance’s Noah’s Amusement Haven at the 2024 Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival.

CHIU PO-SHENG, PERFORMER

A native of Pingtung, CHIU Po-sheng is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Performance and Choreography at the School of Dance, Taipei National University of the Arts.

During his studies, he has been actively involved in school productions, performing leading roles in both duet and solo works. In 2023, he was honored with the Diane Baker Scholarship as Dancer of the Year.

In recent years, he has frequently collaborated with Kaohsiung City Ballet, contributing original choreography to its Dance Shoes project.

In 2021, he co-choreographed Somewhere Over the Rainbow with CHEN Ting-yu, which received an award at the 3rd Stray Birds Dance Platform. In 2023, he was invited to perform in MASDANZA: TAIWAN, presented by HUNG DANCE at the MASDANZA Festival in Spain.

His ballet creation Stardust won the Gold Award at the 2024 Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Creative Dance Competition. In the same year, he performed in the Taiwan tour of Pina BAUSCH’s iconic The Rite of Spring, staged at the National Theater, National Taichung Theater, and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying).