PUSH AND PULL
The Coronet Theatre
★★★★★
“Built from deceptively simple elements, it unfolds with ingenuity and emotional depth”
A table moves almost imperceptibly across the stage. A lamp filled with water glows softly in the dim light. Seated alone, a man remains still, as if caught between thought and action. With this simple yet hypnotic image, Hung Dance’s Push and Pull immediately establishes an atmosphere of quiet tension.
Created and directed by Lai Hung-chung, the work unfolds as a visually striking duet performed by Lu Ying-chieh and Lee Kuan-ling. The piece explores the delicate balance between resistance and surrender, using the physical principle of push and pull as both movement language and emotional metaphor.
What initially appears to be a sparse stage slowly reveals itself as a cleverly modular set. Tables shift, separate and reassemble, transforming the space in subtle yet surprising ways. Beneath one of these moving structures, Lu Ying-chieh gradually emerges, initially resisting the pull to leave the table.
The visual world of the piece is particularly striking. The lighting and costume concept by Lai Hung-chung works in close dialogue with the stage design, while lighting designer Tsai Chao-yu shapes the atmosphere with remarkable precision. What makes Push and Pull particularly compelling is how multi-layered it feels despite its minimalism. With only a few objects, subtle lighting shifts and two performers, the production creates a constantly evolving landscape of images.
The choreography itself draws inspiration from physical principles of force and balance, as well as philosophical ideas rooted in East Asian movement traditions such as Tai Chi. Push and pull becomes both a literal physical action and an emotional state. Bodies lean into each other, resist, yield and rebalance in a continuous negotiation of weight and trust.
At first, the push and pull seems internal. The dancers move as if navigating their own thoughts, their bodies reflecting moments of hesitation, resistance and release. Gradually, however, the dynamic evolves into something relational. What begins as an internal struggle transforms into an encounter between two individuals negotiating closeness, control and vulnerability. Who is in control? Who leads and who follows? Who becomes who? The choreography leaves these questions deliberately unresolved, inviting us to reflect on the fragile balance between intimacy and autonomy.
The performers’ physical control is extraordinary. Their bodies move with remarkable plasticity, shifting between grounded tension and fluid softness. At times Lu Ying-chieh appears almost boneless, flowing through space with a delicacy that feels impossible to define, like a feather drifting slowly through thick honey.
Sound also plays a crucial role. The score by Kuo Yu blends breath, natural textures and subtle musical pulses, creating a soundscape that feels almost organic. Rather than dictating the movement, it breathes alongside it, reinforcing the intimate dialogue between the dancers. Their movements unfold with a rare sense of attentiveness, raising a quiet question: how often do we allow ourselves to sit in vulnerability and truly listen to another person?
While the work centres on human relationships, its push-and-pull dynamics can also be read as echoing wider tensions within Taiwan’s cultural landscape. The choreography’s tension between closeness and distance, resistance and yielding echoes this ongoing search for balance.
Importantly, the piece resists offering a clear resolution. The push and pull never fully settles into harmony. Instead, the work suggests that coexistence may lie in the ability to maintain both connection and independence. Observing, listening and allowing space for another can be just as meaningful as unity.
With its haunting imagery, intelligent choreography and elegantly restrained design, Push and Pull reveals itself as a remarkably multi-layered work. Built from deceptively simple elements, it unfolds with ingenuity and emotional depth, creating a series of images that linger long after the performance ends. It is a quietly powerful masterpiece, a meditation on balance, intimacy and resistance that continues to resonate beyond the stage.
PUSH AND PULL
The Coronet Theatre
Reviewed on 12th March 2026
by Nasia Ntalla
Photography by LIU Ren-haur
