Xin Ji is a contemporary dance artist, choreographer, performer, and educator based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. His practice moves across live performance, screen dance, physical theatre and interdisciplinary collaboration, often exploring identity, embodiment, transformation, and the relationship between personal history and the body.
My collaboration with Xin begun in a dramaturgical capacity on hi first solo work, Body Story. Our relationship has subsequently evolved through engagement via GAMER (Gay Asian Makers Experimental Residency) and Space Drag (a new work-in-development).
Created by Nahyeon Lee, Punctum Productions is a vehicle for self-determination for Asian Artists in Aotearoa.
My play, Losing Face, was the company’s debut show. Subsequently, I provided dramaturgical support for the company’s second show, Chick Habit, as well as owing the company the support of producing my performance lecture, A Short History of Asian New Zealand Theatre, across three iterations.
Show Ponies exploded onto the Aotearoa literary scene for National Poetry Day 2019, in an event Motif Poetry called “a watershed moment for poetry in performance in Wellington.” The project has since performed sell-out shows at Verb Festival, Featherston Booktown, Brisbane Writers Festival, New Zealand Young Writers Festival, and Samesame But Different x Auckland Pride, with more festival appearances on the horizon.
Newly established queer theatre collective, formed by Ania Upstill, Dan Goodwin, Joni Nelson, and Nathan Joe.
Co-produced Scenes from a Yellow Peril with Auckland Theatre Company and Oriental Maidens.
Costume designer for Homecoming Poems and Scenes from a Yellow Peril.
Ankita Singh is a writer, documentary director and award-winning theatre producer. Worked alongside her (and her production company Oriental Maidens) to make I am Rachel Chu, Homecoming Poems, and Scenes from a Yellow Peril possible.
Aotearoa’s most prolific producer of Asian theatre works. Have worked alongside them collaboratively to deliver many of their development programmes, as well as been supported by them in the development of my own work.