How does Taiwanese society deal with its Chinese cultural heritage today – while China threatens it daily with war and conquest? And how do other ethnically Chinese societies see this? And how do political systems affect our lives, actions and thinking?
The dance theatre piece ‘The Seas Between Us’ by German-based Taiwanese choreographer Lo Fang-Yun and dancers Chou Shu-Yi and Lee Mun Wai is dedicated to the unresolved conflict between Taiwan and China, but also more widely to the relationships between historically Chinese-influenced societies and in relation to the West – through the common language of dance.
In a collaborative process with a team of artists from Taiwan, Singapore and China, an emotional duet was created, a portrait of two extraordinary dancers and the political systems that shaped them. On stage, Chou and Lee revisit their different dance biographies, switching between movement and language, between togetherness and coexistence, and using their bodies to explore how personal life paths and global political conflicts intertwine.
Team
Dance, Co-Creation
CHOU Shu-YiArtistic lead, Direction
Fang Yun LoDramaturgy
Stage design, Lighting design
Michele PiazziMusic
David Le ThaiArtistic collaboration
Chu-Zhi ChangTechnical lead, Sound Engineer
Marius KirchProduction management
Information
Production
Polymer DMTEssen, DECoproduced with
HELLERAU European Centre for the ArtsDresden, DEPACT ZollvereinEssen, DEResearch supported
National Theater & Concert HallTaipei, TWProject funding
Art Foundation NRWDüsseldorf, DEKulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen KdFSDresden, DENational Culture and Arts Foundation Taiwan Taipei, TWSupported by Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.Languages
Taiwanese Mandarin, Huayu, EnglishAvailable subtitles
English, GermanDuration
70 min.Age recommendation
12+
Performances
Oct 31 2025
PREMIEREHELLERAU European Centre for the ArtsDresden, DEApr 15 2025
Apr 14 2025