Body Story

When was the last time your body felt happy? When did it feel the most tense? How many injuries has your body sustained? Under what circumstances have you pushed it to its limits?

The successful body. The authoritarian body. The sweaty body. The becoming body. The complete body. The eternal body. The digital body. The ancestral body. The hidden body.

What does your body remember?

In this debut solo work by dance artist Xin Ji, the story of his body unravels through moments where the emotional and physical collide. Uncertainty, recklessness and euphoria slide into an intimate personal narrative — offering ways to consider our bodies as vehicles for resistance and alchemy.

Artist Bio:

From the age of eight, Xin knew he wanted to be a dancer. Fortunately, Xin was able to take dance lessons at school on Saturday mornings. At the age of 11 he auditioned for the Beijing Dance Academy and spent the next five years training in Chinese Classical Ballet. 

Following graduation, Xin was offered a position in Japan with Shiki Theatre Company performing in well- known, including the role as Mr. Mistoffelees in Cats. After five years of touring, Xin wanted to develop his skills in Contemporary Dance and chose to study at UNITEC in Auckland. During this time Xin was invited to perform at The World of Wearable Art in Wellington. He was chosen to represent UNITEC in China, performing a work created by Michael Parmenter for the 60th anniversary of the Beijing Dance Academy.

After Xin graduated from UNITEC he worked with leading contemporary dance companies including Footnote, Okareka, Muscle Mouth, Movement of The Human and Borderline Arts Ensemble. Working with these leading dance companies enabled him to take part in the Wellington and Auckland Fringe Festivals, the Performance Arcade Festival, the Nelson Arts Festival, the Wellington Arts Festival and the Auckland Art Festival. Since 2015 Xin has worked with The New Zealand Dance Company with tours to Germany, Holland, France, United Kingdom,Belgium, Luxembourg and Canada.