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Energetic, poetic, and suspended between tradition and innovation, Sword of Wisdom by the Taiwanese company U-Theatre combines the powerful tradition of percussion with dance and martial arts, drawing inspiration from Buddhist verses that recount the journey of the “Enlightened Warrior” toward self-realization.

Founded in 1988 by Liu Ruo-Yu, U-Theatre was influenced by the aesthetic perspective and training methods of Jerzy Grotowski. Following the 1993 invitation to Huang Chih-Chun to join the group and teach the art of percussion, the company began to merge in its performances music, dance, Tai Chi, theatre, literature, and rituals. This blend of Eastern and Western cultures aims to transcend the boundaries between the ancient and the modern, giving rise to a performative style recognized worldwide. U-Theatre’s creations are deeply rooted in musicality and bodily awareness, intertwined with Daoist practices. Fittingly, the name of the group derives from a Chinese character meaning “excellence,” once used in ancient China to designate professional artists.

U-Theatre was founded by Liu Ruo-Yu, its current director, in October 1988. A graduate of the theatre program at New York University, Liu attended professional workshops held by the Polish master of Poor Theatre, Jerzy Grotowski (1933–1998). Profoundly influenced and inspired by Grotowski’s aesthetic perspective and theatre training methods, she dedicated herself to exploring the body and mind. In 1993, she invited Huang Chih-Chun, an accomplished percussionist specializing in the traditional Sino-Malay technique with nearly 20 years of experience, to teach percussion to the members of U-Theatre. Huang’s deep conviction that “to play the drum, one must first learn meditation” inspired the incorporation of meditation, and later Chinese martial arts, into the core of U-Theatre’s training program.

By integrating elements of martial arts, percussion, meditation, Tai Chi, and sacred dance, U-Theatre works extensively with music, theatre, literature, dance, and ritual. Through this fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, U-Theatre seeks to transcend the boundaries of antiquity and modernity, creating a distinctive performative style known as the “U-Theatre Aesthetic.” U-Theatre’s creations and performances are built upon a profound sense of musicality, intimately woven with bodily awareness and Daoist practices. Its uniqueness has sparked discussion even within the international performing arts community. U-Theatre continues to uphold its fundamental principle of “playing the drum within one’s own serenity,” engaging with the world through a grounded and reassuring strength. By transmitting this serenity to audiences through the sound of the drum, U-Theatre fosters a collective sense of “living in the moment,” while contributing to cultural development and environmental sustainability.