The two dancers— she and he— slowly walk the stage seeming to survey the terrain, including long looks at us. Eventually they come face to face with a long look. We don’t know if this is the beginning of a loving embrace or competitive siblings’ physical altercation. By the dance’s end, we realize that question is never fully answered.
At first we notice angles. That frame for our experience of the dance never leaves entirely, but is very rapidly dwarfed by the quick, quick, quick unfolding of gesture-rich gymnastic interaction between the two dancers. Each is a springboard for the other’s athletic feats, sometimes reminding of a circus act. It’s equal opportunity all the way. She carries him for a moment like so much baggage, and then he does same. He springs off her body and then she does the same.
When they take a quick light slap on their partner’s backside ,the feeling of teasing becomes the main story. It’s a gesture that tickles and delights— all the more so because it sneaks in during quick transitions that aren’t stopping.
At one point the action does stop and the dancers— each in their own space— seem to pant their way back to renewal. And then they begin again— this time flying higher and faster.
In the more intimate space where this matinee was performed— in contrast to the larger performance halls needed to accommodate the growing ADF audience— we feel the athleticism required by Liu’s choreography. What the dancers are called upon to do is no small feat. In this reviewer’s opinion, I-Ling Liu’s choreography and the athletic prowess of the two dancers—Jyun-Yi Lin and Wei-Ting Hung—give a performance that leaves us with a sense of deep satisfaction.
2026 American Dance Festival Showcases Choreographer’s Signatures
Having seen the masterful Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane’s company shortly before this performance, Liu’s account of struggling to find her own choreographic voice after dance with that troupe for so long is somewhat astounding. Watch this video—
This duet doesn’t feel Bill T. Jones derivative in the slightest, in this reviewer’s opinion. What we get instead is another example of how ADF distills the wide panorama of contemporary dance into a single season. This too is no small feat.
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For more information visit the American Dance Festival website
Photos: Sugawara Kota
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About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
