Dancehouse Will Present Hung Dance In BIRDY Vancouver Premiere

DanceHouse will present the Vancouver premiere of Taiwan’s award-winning Hung Dance in Birdy, on stage November 28 and 29, 2025, at 8 p.m. at the Vancouver Playhouse. The production marks the first time DanceHouse has presented a Taiwanese company, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience the intersection of tradition and contemporary movement from one of Asia’s leading voices in dance.

Set to an eclectic mix of electronica and Chinese classical music, Birdy explores the tension between freedom and restraint through the movement of the “Ling Zi” — an elaborate four-foot pheasant-feather headpiece used in traditional Chinese opera to symbolize strength and skill. The work blends Tai Chi, martial arts, and contemporary dance in a meditation on transformation and identity.

“It has been a personal, longtime goal to present work from Taiwan to our DanceHouse audiences, both to recognize the vibrant Taiwanese community in Greater Vancouver and to highlight Taiwan’s important role in cultural diplomacy,” said Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse. “Taiwan has become a hotbed for contemporary artistic expression, particularly in dance, where innovation and tradition meet with striking originality. By presenting Hung Dance, we aim to celebrate Taiwan’s evolving cultural identity while sharing its powerful artistic voice with Vancouver audiences.”

As the dancers move in and out of unison, the feathers shift from gentleness to aggression — extending into space, snapping like whips, or slicing the air like blades. Each gesture punctuates the choreography with calligraphic precision, evoking both conformity and rebellion. The result is a visual and emotional expression of collective and individual freedom.

Founded in 2017 by choreographer Lai Hung-Chung, Hung Dance draws on influences from Peking opera, martial arts, and traditional symbolism to create a contemporary dance language rooted in Taiwanese cultural history. “In Birdy, Lai Hung-Chung explores the limits of our desires and our sense of freedom,” wrote Zone Critique.

In addition to its Vancouver performances, Birdy will tour North America in 2025, with engagements in Victoria, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Utah, and Arizona.

DanceHouse’s presentation of Birdy will include a pre-show talk at 7:15 p.m. each evening and a post-show reception following Friday’s performance in the Salon.