REVIEW: Push And Pull

©️ photo by LIU Ren-haur

At The Coronet Theatre, Taiwanese company Hung Dance presents Push and Pull, a 45-minute duet choreographed by Lai Hung-chung. The work explores the shifting dynamics between two individuals through a sustained physical exchange between performers Lu Ying-chieh and Lee Kuan-ling.

The choreography unfolds through a series of physical negotiations. Weight is transferred, resisted, redirected. A push generates counter-force; a moment of support becomes suspension before dissolving again into distance. Through these exchanges, the work examines the tension and interdependence that exist between two individuals sharing the same space. Circular pathways and the redirection of force hint at the influence of Tai Chi principles within Lai’s movement language.

Both dancers display impressive technical control, though the most striking aspect of the performance lies in their responsiveness to each other. Their bodies move with remarkable alignment, breath and motion closely linked. Phrases pass between them in a continuous flow, each action answered or redirected by the other. There are moments when the movement carries a wave-like rhythm, energy travelling from one body into the next.

One particularly memorable sequence centres on acts of measuring. A hand traces the distance between the dancers’ bodies, fingers marking the length of an arm or the line of a shoulder. The gestures suggest both analysis and intimacy, as if the dancers are mapping one another through touch. In another striking passage, they bring their ears close together, listening carefully to the presence of the other.

Lighting by Tsai Chao-yu and music by Kuo Yu deepen the stage environment. During a moment when one dancer pushes the other away, the lighting shifts from deep blue to warm amber, transforming the spatial atmosphere as though a door has opened within the stage. When the dancers bring their ears close together, the soundscape introduces faint suggestions of heartbeat and rainfall, allowing the intimacy of the gesture to resonate beyond the stage, with echoes that reach from the body into the wider world.

Push and Pull sustains attention through its clarity of structure and finely tuned physical detail. Meaning develops through contact, weight and breath, as the two performers continually recalibrate their balance with one another. The result is an absorbing study of connection expressed through disciplined, fluid movement.

★★★★

For more information, please visit: https://www.thecoronettheatre.com/whats-on/hung-dance-push-and-pull/

Credits

Artistic Director & Choreographer: Lai Hung-chung
Lighting & Costume Concept: Lai Hung-chung
Performers: Lu Ying-chieh, Lee Kuan-ling
Rehearsal Director: Cheng I-han
Rehearsal Assistant: Wu Shin-jie
Technical Director & Lighting Designer: Tsai Chao-yu
Music: Kuo Yu
Supported by The Ministry of Culture of Taiwan (Republic of China)