Tony Yap, born in Malaysia, is an accomplished dancer, director, choreographer and visual artist. Tony was one of the principle performers with IRAA Theatre (1989-1996). He has made a commitment to the exploration and creation of an individual dance theatre language that is informed by psycho-physical research, Asian shamanistic trance dance, Butoh and psycho-vocal experimentations. Tony has received numerous nominations and awards including The Decay of the Angel which won him a Green Room Award for Male Dancer Award; and Rasa Sayang was nominated for The Australian Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance. He has been a leading figure in inter-cultural discourse and received Asialink residential grants to work in Indonesia in 2005, and 2008 and a Dance fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts. Tony is the founding Creative Director of Melaka Arts and Performance Festival – MAP Fest (www.melakafestival.com).
He has contributed significantly to the development of contemporary dance & performance practice, particularly bringing a non-Western perspective to the palette of work being created. His practice is grounded in: Asian philosophies, sensibilities and forms; inter-cultural and multi-disciplinary approaches; ongoing relationships and collaborations that deepen over time; inclusiveness, diversity and individuality; process, evolution and the emergent.
Tony was one of the principle performers with IRAA Theatre (1989-1996) and has worked extensively in Australia and overseas including Agamemnon Festival Colline Torinese, Italy, and The Trojan Woman, Vienna International Art Festival. As the founding Artistic director of Mixed Company (now Tony Yap Company) in 1993. Tony has collaborated with many companies and individual in Australia, Indonesia, Austria, Italy, France, Malaysia, Greece, The Netherlands, Denmark, China, South Korea and Japan. He danced in an international collaborative work in The Silence of the Forest with Company Lian in Paris and The Night Gardener in Marseille for the Mai-diteranee Festival, France.
Tony's contemporary trance praxis has resulted in his recent Phd thesis, Trance-forming Dance.
Creative affliations (selected)
MAP Fest - Melaka Arts and Performance Festival. 2009-present – Creative Director Experimentum MAP - established 2019. – Creative Director Creative afffiations with MAP Delhi Festival; Palem Arts Festival (East Java); Bangkok Buffulo Field Festival; Bandung International Arts Festival; Bantengan (Bull-Trance) Carnival (East Java).
Achievements & Awards (selected)
Winner Male Dancer, Green Room Awards. 1999 AsiaLink Residencies: Indonesia. 2005 & 2014 Dance Fellowship, Australia Council for the Arts. 2008 Arts in Asia Awards, Finalist, Melaka Arts & Performance Festival & Kekkai. 2013
