Lin Huai-min, creator of the Cloudgate Dance Ensemble, says that water sleeves in Chinese opera are like a Chinese calligraphy brush; they can convey a sense of moving clouds and water, making the expression more forceful.
「雲門」的創辦人林懷民認為，國劇的水袖像毛筆一般，可以做出肢體所不能呈現的「行雲流水」動作，引出有力的情感表達。