Stay tuned! More information coming soon:
Reserve the date from 18 to 22 June 2025 for the Dance Conference and Meetings
Jointly presented by World Dance Alliance Asia-Pacific and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Join five young choreographers who participated in this year’s International Young Choreographer Project in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as they reflect on their experience and its vital necessity in today’s world.
Featuring: Featuring Yuchi Chen (Taiwan), Maybelle Lek (Singapore), Alice Ma (Hong Kong), Tung-chun Hsu (Taiwan) & Mohd Nuriqram (Malaysia).
Moderated by I-Fen Tung.
Organiser: World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific.
Date: Friday 20 September
Time: 13:30 TPE (UTC +8)
Find your local time zone here
Platform: Zoom
Length of session: 90 minutes max
Register for the Zoom session here: https://forms.gle/jWuZym7w43MToaGS8
Participation is free. Only registered participants will receive the link to the Zoom discussion.
Dance is indeed a profound physical experience that cannot be fully captured through a screen. The International Young Choreographer Project (IYCP) being able to gather again is incredibly exciting. The opportunity for dancers to interact face-to-face, share ideas, and experience the atmosphere of the event is invaluable. The isolation and restrictions during the pandemic have made us cherish such opportunities even more. This gathering inspired countless new ideas and innovative dance works!
IYCP comes to its 25th year, it’s a remarkable milestone. Its longevity demonstrates its significant impact and solid presence in the dance world. Over 25 years, it has witnessed the growth of countless dancers and the evolution of dance, potentially driving many innovative choreographies and performances. Such an event not only provides a platform for young choreographers to showcase their talents but also fosters global dance community exchange and collaboration. Each era finds its inspirational dialogue through such activities, and for young choreographers, this experience undoubtedly lays a solid foundation for the future development of dance.
We invite five young choreographers from IYCP this year to share their insights and experiences firsthand. Perhaps, after nearly two months since July, there is a more profound and extended reflection on everything that has occurred.
Since 1999, Asian Young Choreographer Project (named as International Young Choreographer Project/IYCP after 2009) has attracted more than 60 young choreographers from around the world. More than 300 dancers have been gathered in Taiwan, and around 70 dances have been created. Originally based in Taipei, for the better development of modern dance in southern Taiwan, the project has moved to Kaohsiung since 2005.
Established by Man-Fei Lo and later managed by Ra-Jung Liang, IYCP is currently led by Yunyu Wang and Su-Ling Chou, with the support from private as well as government organizations such as National Culture and Arts Foundation, Chin-Lin Foundation for Arts and Culture, Bureau of Cultural Affairs of Kaohsiung City Government, Tsoying Senior High School, and Tso’s Dance Association.
This year, five choreographers from Australia (WDA Asia Pacific), Malaysia (WDA Asia Pacific), Hong Kong (WDA Asia Pacific), Singapore (WDA Asia Pacific) and Bangladesh (WDA Asia Pacific), and three from Taiwan were selected. Tso’s Dance Association will continue to promote IYCP in bringing the dance in Taiwan to the international stage.
Tung I-Fen is a choreographer, performer, educator and curator. Tung works in various contexts, including dance, theater, film, contemporary music and technical art, among others, while laying her artistic practices in the agency and intersections of humanity, society and nature.
Tung has been an artist-in-residence at Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris, Colorado College and George Washington University in the USA. From 2020, Tung started to curate the program and host several projects such as Dance Park platform for freelance dancers, Unboxing: Live Art Arena for freelance artists, performing art program for Nuit Blanche. Since 2006, her works have been presented in London and Paris, as well as in Spain, the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India. Tung also participated in several interdisciplinary productions, such as Dear John which won the performing award of 12th Taishin Arts Award. She is currently a full-time lecturer at the University of Taipei.
Yuchi Chen, born in Changhua City, Studied at National Taipei University of the Arts. He is currently a freelance artist. From 2019 to 2024, he was performing with MIR dance company under direction of Giuseppe Spota in Gelsenkirchen Theater in Germany, He has worked with choreographers such as Marcos Morau, Felix Landerer, Anat Oz and Fernando Melo and many others. His choreographic work, “The Piece on your Seat,” was selected for the dance film screening at the 2022 SWEAT Hong Kong International Dance Festival.
*photo credit: 瑪加多里歐斯·伊莎貝爾 Machado Rios Isabel
Maybelle Lek (b. 1996) is a Singaporean dance artist based in Spain, specializing in performance, choreography, and education. After earning her Master’s Degree from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK), Maybelle performed with T.H.E. Second Company and Nagi Contemporary Dance Corps, where she has made significant influences in the Singapore dance scene. Maybelle’s work embraces the transformative power of imagination, creative risk-taking, and the continuous exploration of physical and emotional modalities. Her choreographic practice is dedicated to crafting inclusive, safe spaces that encourage both personal and collective expression. Recognizing dance as a profound medium for connection, empowerment, and transformation, Maybelle’s works—such as [02:10], Still/Moving, and When Five Encounter — have graced stages across the UK, Europe, and Asia. Her choreography is celebrated for its accessibility and emotional depth, resonating with diverse audiences. Her latest work, The Slowness of Being, was featured at the 2024 International Youth Choreographer’s Project in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. www.maybellelek.org
Graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honors) degree, majoring in Contemporary Dance and Choreography. Actively performs on stage and explores various mediums to showcase dance, collaborating with artists from different disciplines as well as art institutions and groups. Her recent works include City Contemporary Dance Company’s “I Don’t Mean It” (2021), Hong Kong Arts Festival’s “Ding Ding Ding Ding” (2021), and E-Side Dance Company’s “Leg” (2023).
Ma has received the “Tom Brown Emerging Choreographer” at the Hong Kong Dance Awards in 2020. She was also honored with the “The Award for Young Artist” by the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards the following year. Additionally, she has been nominated twice for the “Outstanding Choreography” award at the Hong Kong Dance Awards, for “Over-master” (2020) and “Night Run” (2023).
She has frequently participated in the “Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Platform” of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, with two of her works, “Wu” (2018) and “Over-master” (2019), “Wu” was presented at the Seoul New Dance for Asia International Dance Festival in Korea and received a 5-star review at the Edinburgh International Festival 2023. “Over-master” was invited to perform in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Macau. She is also a part-time instructor at the City Contemporary Dance Company’s Dance Centre and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She founded AMPM Movement Theatre in 2023. www.alice-ma.com
Tung-chun Hsu, a Kaohsiung native, is currently studying for a master’s degree in the Department of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts. He majors in Cross-Disciplinary Corporeal Theories and Practice. He is a choreographer, dancer, and dance critic. He started professional dance training in high school, focusing on contemporary dance and exploring the interplay of text, body, and practice beyond traditional constraints.
Mohd Nuriqram is a graduate with a Bachelor degree in Dance from the ASWARA. He majored in choreography (2020). He has represented Malaysia under the Faculty of Dance at the ASEAN-CHINA Joint Cultural Performance held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and at Dance Festivals in Indonesia. He has created several choreographic works showcased in Gelombang Baru, Dancebox, Short and Sweet, Dancing Alone, Kontra, and Dancing Duo. He was awarded the Best Newcomer Award at the Short+Sweet Festival 2018 for his piece entitled “BODOH (Stupid)”. He has won various solo talent competitions, including 1st place in MSU Got Talent, 2nd place in All Talent Kuala Lumpur, and 4th place in Artistreet Dance.
Asia-Pacific Dance Dialogues explore current issues and viewpoints in dance around the region and the world, with invited dancers, choreographers, scholars and other dance practitioners. This monthly online series is hosted by World Dance Alliance chapters from the Asia-Pacific region, and reflects on topics in education and training, research and documentation, creation and presentation, and support and development.
Join us with your questions, share your unique perspectives, and strengthen your professional networks, as together we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for dance in our world.
In 2024, these sessions are free and open to all; registration is required.
WDA Asia Pacific members are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the organisation on Sunday 1 September at 1pm, either via Zoom or in person at the Bencoolen Hotel, 30 Bencoolen Rd, Singapore.
The meeting will provide reports from the Executive Board and chapter heads (as per those published in the latest edition of Asia Pacific Channels), and there will be an election for a new Executive Board. Voting for these positions will be by the current Executive Board, Chapter Heads, Regional VPs and Network Chairs, all of whom will represent the broader WDAAP membership. If you are a WDA member and intend being present at the AGM via Zoom, please register here and a link will be sent to you, along with the Agenda.
Julie Dyson
WDA AP Secretary
SIDCF ’24 is about a month and a half away. We are excited and look forward to welcoming you all.
Before your arrival, here is some essential information for you to take note of :
The WDA-AP AGM for all members is on Sunday, 1st of September, from 1300 to 1500.
– All participants who are non-members interested in finding out more about WDA-AP are welcome to attend.
– Registration for members and non-members is at the door.
Registration on Monday, 2nd of September, will open at 0800
– The event fee is to be paid in Singapore dollars upon registration.
– Non-member is to pay S$100/- and member is to pay S$70/-.
You can find the all schedule , performance rundown and hotel link here
for more information, please visit the website https://www.wdasg.com/
Finally, if you should have any concerns or queries,
– on the festival and master class, please get in touch with the Festival Office, World Dance Alliance Singapore worlddancealliancesg@gmail.com
– on the paper presentation, please get in touch with Dr Urmimala Sarkar at urmimala.sarkar@gmail.com
– on performance presentation, please get in touch with Prof Yunyu Wang at yunyuge@gmail.com
With warm regards,
SIDF ’24 working team
The June 2024 edition of Asia-Pacific Channels, the biannual magazine of World Dance Alliance Asia-Pacific, is here.
As usual, this edition features reports from our executive committee, our networks and our organisational chapters. Here are some highlights:
… as well as some beautiful and inspiring images of dance from across the region.
Download the magazine in PDF format [2.5MB]
Cover image, and above: Team Projonmo from Bangladesh performing ‘Fireflies’, choreographed by Md Hanif, at Chayanaut Cultural Center in Dhaka. Photo: Yeamin Muzumde
Back issues of Channels can be downloaded from here. The archive of Channels dating back to 1996 is available from the Ausdance website.
Dance as practise is offered in degree or diploma courses in some undergraduate and graduate institutions in South Asian countries. In comparison, Dance Studies is not a commonly offered subject at all. Today three young faculty from different institutions in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India discuss the scope, possibilities and challenges the subject faces as funds for arts education lessen all over the world, while the interest to continue dance education beyond practice increases within the performing arts ecology in South Asia.
The session is moderated by Urmimala Sarkar Munsi and promises to present a frank discussion between the three young people who navigate the terrain as faculty/ practitioners/ researchers of performing arts.
Featuring Chamanee Darshika (Sri Lanka), Zuairiyah Mouli (Bangladesh) and Amritha Shruthi (India).
Zoom Session Time: 14:00-15:30 (2pm to 3:30pm) IST, Thursday 27 June 2024
Register now to join the discussion, and bring us your questions about the development Dance Studies, in South Asia and in your own context!
Register here: https://forms.gle/jWuZym7w43MToaGS8
Participation is free. Only registered participants will receive the link to the Zoom discussion.
Moderator: Prof. Urmimala Sarkar Munsi
Facilitated by: Bilqis Hijjas.
Organiser: World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific.
Date: Thursday 27 June
Time: 12:00 IST
Find your time zone here
Platform: Zoom
Length of session: 90 minutes max
About the Speakers
Chamanee Darshika is a theatre practitioner, critic, and academic working at the intersections of Acting and Performance Studies. In 2023, she completed her postgraduate studies at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU (India). She is currently reading for her MPhil degree on “Gendering Nurti and Sinhala Nationalism: The Emergence of Female Actors in the Early Modern Sinhala Theatre” at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts (Sri Lanka). She has also followed Kandyan dance, one of the local dance practices. She is a permanent faculty member in the Faculty of Dance and Drama at UVPA, and teaches Acting and Performance Studies-related courses. She is also a visiting lecturer at the Uva Wellassa University (Sri Lanka) and was a temporary assistant lecturer at the University of Kelaniya (Sri Lanka) in Drama and Theatre.
In her practice-based research, Chamanee explores the ways in which the actor’s body can be unlearned, and ways to reconnect with Indigenous practices and rituals in South Asian Cultures. Her research examines the relationship between personal and historical power relations to contextualize the historical construction of the gendered body and its performative elements. She was the curator of Movement Rhizome Atelier, and one of the panelists at the International Conference on Dance Studies, at the University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka).
Zuairiyah Mouli has been pursuing dance for the last 18 years. In 2019, as an ICCR Scholar, she has completed her Masters in Performing Arts (Bharatnatyam) with Distinction from Bangalore University and completed her Diploma with Distinction from West Bengal Dance Group Federation’s Diploma, winning the gold medal. She has performed at prestigious dance venues in India, Bangladesh, Russia, France, USA and has been bestowed with Girnar Ratna and NatyaKalamani titles in 2019 from India. Her choreographed short productions “Endless Journey” and “Ardhanarishwara” were selected for the World Dance Alliance Global Summit 2017 and 2019. She has had the privilege to work in productions under internationally acclaimed choreographers Akram Khan (UK), Donald Byrd (USA), Kathleen Weitz (USA), and Urmimala Sarker (India). Currently, she is working as an Assistant Director (Program Production, Dance) at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. She has also worked as a part time lecturer in the Department of Dance, University of Dhaka and Tagore University of Creative Arts.
Currently an Assistant Professor of Performance at the Department of Arts, Media and Performance, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR, Amritha Shruthi is a trained dancer-performer closely mentored by dancer Geeta Chandran, and is an empanelled ICCR solo artist and a graded artist by the Doordarshan. Amritha submitted her PhD thesis at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, wherein she maps the historical effectiveness of performance festivals in India – with specific reference to dance in an attempt to locate alternate approaches to analyse dance history and performance-making. Amritha has extensively worked in K-12 schools across India as an Art Integrated Learning consultant, and closely trains teachers to develop new methodologies to teach and engage with art and concepts in the classroom.
Moderator
Urmimala Sarkar Munsi is the current President of World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific. She is a Professor and Dean of at the School of Arts and Aesthetics in Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. She is a social anthropologist / performance studies scholar and a trained dancer- choreographer, with research in socio-political assertions of identity through cultural practices.
Asia-Pacific Dance Dialogues explore current issues and viewpoints in dance around the region and the world, with invited dancers, choreographers, scholars and other dance practitioners. This monthly online series is hosted by World Dance Alliance chapters from the Asia-Pacific region, and reflects on topics in education and training, research and documentation, creation and presentation, and support and development.
Join us with your questions, share your unique perspectives, and strengthen your professional networks, as together we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for dance in our world.
In 2024, these sessions are free and open to all; registration is required.
Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship (JEDS) calls for submissions for its 11th edition, inviting original scholarly articles and reviews that critically engage with the theme: Complexities and Challenges in Dance/Dance Studies.
The journal offers a supportive forum for emerging scholars engaged in research and practice of dance. All submissions are double-blind peer reviewed. Authors must be pursuing a graduate degree such as M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D., equivalent, or be within five years of having graduated (the degree does not need to be in dance, but the article must be focused on dance).
More info about submissions and the theme on the JEDS website: https://jedsonline.in/2024-Call%20for%20Submissions,%20Jeds%20issue%20no%20XI
Five choreographers recommended by WDA-Asian Pacific will be selected to attend the Young Choreographer Project in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. An additional three Taiwanese choreographers will also be selected to join the event. The funding is supported by National Culture and Arts Foundation, Bureau Culture Affairs of Kaohsiung City Government, and the Chin-Lin Foundation for Culture and Arts in Taiwan. The project is located in the city of Kaohsiung, south of Taiwan. The tentative dates for the 2024 event are from July 1st to July 19th, with two performances taking place in the main stage of the theatre in the campus of Tsoying High School from July 20th to 21st. Eight choreographers have been selected for the 2024 International Young Choreographer Project.
Congratulations to the following artists:
1. Callum Mooney (Australia, WDA Asia Pacific)
2. Maybelle Lek Shue-Qi (Singapore, WDA Asia Pacific)
3. Ma Sze Nga Alice (Hong Kong, WDA Asia Pacific)
4. Anandita Khan (Bangladesh, WDA Asia Pacific)
5. Mohd Nuriqram Bin Azhar (Malaysia, WDA Asia Pacific)
6. Hsiang-Yu CHAN (Taiwan)
7. Tung-Chun HSU (Taiwan)
8. Yu-Chi CHEN (Taiwan)
The Dancers’ Audition will be held at Tsoying Senior High School on June 30th, and eight choreographers will select dancers for their works. And the rehearsal schedule and the selected list will be announced on that day. During the event, you must take care of your own accommodation, transportation, meals, etc. This event does not pay any fees to the selected dancers, so please think carefully before signing up.
Please fill in the registration form and email to dance30@tyhs.kh.edu.tw , and the email subject should be:
2024 IYCP dancers audition- (your name)
Deadline: June 21st (Friday)
For more information, please contact 2024 IYCP Office:
Mrs. Suling Chou: dance@tyhs.kh.edu.tw
Project Assistant-Fang-Hua Lee: dance30@tyhs.kh.edu.tw
If you are an educator, scholar, or dancer concerned with the development of Asian dance cultures, this is the topic you are looking for. How have Asian dance cultures undergone transformations in dance higher education? The Asia-Pacific region is rich in dance culture history and resources. What are the implications of these historical legacies for contemporary dance culture and education? As the first state-owned dance school and the only higher education institution focusing specifically on dance in China, Beijing Dance Academy (BDA) will bring their years of experience in performance, academic research, talent training, and international cooperation on Asia-Pacific dance culture.
Zoom Session Time: 13:00-14:30 (1pm to 2:30pm) CST, Thursday 16 May 2024
Register now to join the discussion, and bring us your questions about dance culture in Asia-Pacific, international dance collaboration, and talent cultivation for dance higher education in China!
Register here: https://forms.gle/jWuZym7w43MToaGS8
Participation is free. Only registered participants will receive the link to the Zoom discussion.
Moderated by Lin Wang (Lynn) and organized by Beijing Dance Academy.
Date: Thursday 16 May
Time: 13:00 CST
Find your time zone here
Platform: Zoom
Length of session: 90 minutes max
About the Speakers
Dr. Xu Rui is the President and Professor of Beijing Dance Academy, Doctoral Supervisor of China Academy of Art. He is the Vice Chairman of China Musical Theater Association, Vice Chairman of Beijing Dancers Association and Beijing Literary Critics Association. He was selected by the National Ministry of Education for the “New Century Outstanding Talents” program, and was awarded a full scholarship by the Asian Cultural Council of America (ACC).
Across the field of research and arts creation, he is the author of The Aesthetic And Self-Consciousness of Contemporary Chinese Folk Dance Creation, which is awarded the first prize of the Ninth China Federation of Literature and Art Criticism. He has created more than ten famous dance dramas and musicals, which have won the Wenhua Grand Prize, the highest honor for theatre arts creation in China. He is the founder of the “ArtsCross”, the contemporary dance creation and research program, which has a significant impact for the international dance community.
Dr. Zhibo Zhao is a highly trained dancer-choreographer and practice-based researcher who was awarded National First-Rank Dance Artist by the Chinese government. She received her professional training in Chinese Classical Dance at the age of 10 at the Affiliated Secondary School of Beijing Dance Academy (BDA) and later obtained her BA and MFA degrees at BDA. As a leading dancer with the BDA Dance Company, she performed Chinese dances in over 40 countries. Among these, she has been an associate artist of the ArtsCross project, an international intercultural dance research project, since 2009.
Zhibo moved to London in 2018 to pursue her PhD at Middlesex University, focusing on dance improvisation in relation to Chinese dance and dancers, and was awarded her doctorate in her viva with the proud distinction of having no corrections. In the UK dance sector, she has worked tirelessly to deliver talks and workshops on Chinese dance and created short and full-length works with her unique cultural perspective. Not only that, but together with her partner, their short-dance video account has created the miracle of having over 10 million followers on social media worldwide.
Qin Yanxi, Director of International Office of Beijing Dance Academy, member of International Education Committee of Chinese Society for Educational Development Strategy, council member of China Education Association for International Exchange, Secretary-General of the China-CEEC Dance Culture Union. She studied in the University of Reading and the University of Westminster in UK as a visiting scholar. She has been engaged in educational management and international cooperation and exchange in universities for many years and has rich working experience in higher education administration, international exchange and international student management.
Moderator
Lin WANG (Lynn) is PhD candidate at the University of Leeds, UK; Taipei Scholar of ArtsCross, an international dance research residency programme; Visiting Scholar at the School of Dance, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts; she received her BA and MFA degrees from the Beijing Dance Academy; she published her academic translation in 2019, Body Space Expression:The Development of Rudolf Laban’s Movement and Dance Concepts; and the most recent result of her research is Tutorial for Analysing Dance Movements.
Asia-Pacific Dance Dialogues explore current issues and viewpoints in dance around the region and the world, with invited dancers, choreographers, scholars and other dance practitioners. This monthly online series is hosted by World Dance Alliance chapters from the Asia-Pacific region, and reflects on topics in education and training, research and documentation, creation and presentation, and support and development.
Join us with your questions, share your unique perspectives, and strengthen your professional networks, as together we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for dance in our world.
In 2024, these sessions are free and open to all; registration is required.
Singapore International Dance Festival invites you to the vibrant and bustling city of Singapore. Organized by World Dance Alliance Singapore, the festival invites all to culminate in the port town to showcase, share and learn from one another. The festival envisions to be an interchange of exchanging ideas, knowledge, viewpoints, artistry and virtuosity through the language of dance.
SIDF will be combined with the yearly event of WDA – AP, which includes Key-note speeches, Academic seminars, Workshops, Performances and Lecture demonstrations, by participants from all over the Asia Pacific, concluding with the Annual General Meeting of WDA-AP.
Title : Singapore International Dance Festival
Date : 2nd-4th September 2024
Time : 0900-1800hrs
Venue : Singapore, City Ballet Academy
Fee : SGD 100 / Students SGD 70 FULL PROGRAM
please visit the official website to get further information: https://www.wdasg.com/
