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Dance and Diplomacy: Finding Meaning and Connection through Contemporary Dance with Hung Dance of Taiwan
Three In-Person Sessions
Wed., Nov. 5, 12, 2025, 6:30-8:30 pm MT
Newman Center Presents Performance, Wed., Nov. 19, 7:30 pm

What does dance have to do with international relations? How do audiences make sense of what they see on stage with contemporary dance? And how can an abstract, wordless performance leave us feeling more connected—not just to others, but to ourselves?

Examine these questions and more through the lens of the work of the Taiwanese company Hung Dance. In this course that includes a live performance, Luke Wachter, associate director for educational initiatives at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, explores the surprising ways that dance can create meaningful connections across borders, languages and cultures. Prepare to arrive curious and leave moved.

Boundary-pushing dance company Hung Dance was founded in 2017 by Artistic Director Lai Hung-Chung, whose work honors “the subtle relationship between people and nature, and blends elements of Tai Chi with contemporary thinking to cultivate a new dance vocabulary.” The company tours the world extensively, adding a unique and exciting voice to the contemporary dance world.

Explore how this work connects to the lineage of 20th-century modern dance masters like Martha Graham and Paul Taylor—artists who also used the body to tell stories and challenge convention. Along the way, break down how meaning is conveyed through movement and how audience members can develop a deeper, more intuitive connection to what they see on stage.

In the second section, Wachter discusses the cultural diplomacy work of the Newman Center and the impact of bringing in international artists such as Hung Dance. Unlike traditional diplomacy, the role of the arts within the lived experience of both performer and audience creates a uniquely powerful exchange. The class culminates with a trip to see Hung Dance perform as part of the Newman Center Presents Series on November 19, 2025.

Luke Wachter is the associate director for educational initiatives at the at DU, where he implements programs for thousands of students focused on culturally responsive education and aesthetic thinking. He is a former public school teacher and an active musician in ������.