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Performing arts in Hong Kong
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ReviewHow does Taiwan’s legendary Cloud Gate Dance Theatre look under new director?

Cloud Gate’s first show in Hong Kong under director Cheng Tsung-lung brought familiar high-level dancing and energy, but lacked innovation

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A scene from Lunar Halo, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s production about reconnecting with the human body in an increasingly digitised world, at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, where the show took place from July 10-12, 2026. Photo: Moon 9 Image/courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
Natasha Rogai
When Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre last performed in Hong Kong in 2019, they presented a gala programme paying tribute to the work of their founder, Lin Hwai-min, who handed over direction of the company the following year to his protege, Cheng Tsung-lung.

Lunar Halo is the first full-length work by Cheng and the first Cloud Gate production under his direction to be presented in the city. So how did this legendary company look under their new director?

The answer is, to put it bluntly, much the same. Cloud Gate have always had a very specific style, and that remains true. While preserving their immediately identifiable character may please loyal admirers, after 50 years and with a new director, one might have expected to see some evolution and exploration of new paths.

To be fair, Lunar Halo was created in 2019, and Cheng’s more recent works may show greater change. Here, his choreography is heavily influenced by his mentor and predecessor, although other influences (Akram Khan, Crystal Pite) are also present.

The most striking sequence of the performance was the opening, where a group of male dancers working in unison linked their arms and bodies to create a succession of extraordinary images, including one that looked like a DNA helix revolving on a screen.

The opening scene of “Lunar Halo” saw a group of male dancers linking their arms and bodies to create a succession of extraordinary images. Photo: Moon 9 Image/courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
The opening scene of “Lunar Halo” saw a group of male dancers linking their arms and bodies to create a succession of extraordinary images. Photo: Moon 9 Image/courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Then things became less interesting. The dancers stamped, jumped and whirled, solo or in groups – with the women doing a lot of long-hair tossing – and showed the distinctive strengths of Cloud Gate’s renowned training system.

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