Last Thursday evening, Hung Dance made their premiere in Los Angeles with Birdy for USC’s Vision & Voices Program in Bovard Auditorium. The piece was choreographed by LAI Hung-chung, and explores the “interplay of freedom and limitations within Taiwan’s communities, traced by history, societal dynamics, and personal narratives”. Made up of eight dancers, each with a pheasant feather, used in their hair or as a prop, the movers seamlessly blended unique modern choreographic skill, with ancient Thai Chi practices. And while the technique of every single dancer was impressive, the overall speed and cadence of the 60 minute piece left me feeling a little bored.
Hung Dance in “Birdy” – Photo by Gina Clyne.
With an exciting opening, I thought “wow, I am really in for a unique experience”. A dancer, under spotlight stage right, used their pheasant feather to mimic real life tangible items such as a pen to write with, a fan, and a hair ornament, among others. The speed and precision of the movement left me feeling curious and compelled to see more, especially from an overseas dance company with new perspectives on life, in history, and personal relatability. The choreography was energetic, quick, punctual, and vigorous. I felt like I was spinning from a caffeine drip and enjoying the high. However, after 15-20min into the hour-long performance, the piece remained energetic, quick, punctual, and vigorous. It maintained the same energy, rhythm, and emotional tone throughout. Birdy began to feel monotonous and predictable, and left me with no journey or development changes. I began to crave contrast, textural change, or performance traits. Formations changed, and dancers came and went from the wings, and yes under a microscope we saw different relationships form and break in between; but the continuation of no real emotional depth between the figures left me feeling lost.
Hung Dance in “Birdy” – Photo by Gina Clyne.
Birdy did have a moment of reprieve, when the dancers entered the stage, not with a long pheasant feather, but with semi flexible bamboo sticks. The backdrop cracked slightly open from its consistent black drape, to a sliver of vibrant red and bamboo sticks in succession forming a sort of ladder view background. Two dancers were left on stage to battle through an era of power or class perhaps? Before it all came to a head and the ladder of bamboo sticks came crashing to the floor for a surprise element of “ooh and aah”. And while I welcomed the change of scenery, as brief as it was, the event itself was still anticipated and somewhat calculable. Even the music, by composer HSU Chia-wei, was a mix of electronic and Chinese classical music to reinterpret known percussion. Exciting in the beginning; a blend of instrumentals I’ve never heard before. And then, like the performance itself, I craved a lull, a breather, a respite from the hectic energy.
Hung Dance in “Birdy” – Photo by Gina Clyne.
Birdy was a beautiful display of authentic choreography, of blended ideas from across the world, albeit much too long. And while the repetition of the energetic flow became humdrum, it was hard to ignore the unique precision from which they’ve grown a technique of true rigor and fortitude.
To learn more about Hung Dance Company, please visit their website.
To learn more about USC’s Vision & Voices Program, please visit their website.
Written by Grace Courvoisier for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Hung Dance in “Birdy” – Photo by Gina Clyne.
