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02 - 04 FEBRUARY 2024
CASTS AND CREWS
Dancer Collaborators
Deborah Fletcher (She/Her)
Deborah is a freelance dance artist and creative producer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. She enjoys variety in her practice, and exploring new ways of being and moving. She is excited by the plurality of multidisciplinary work. Deborah likes working collaboratively, and was involved in This Room is an Island and its previous iterations. Deborah feels privileged to share and contribute to the 2024 version of This Room is and Island, and bring this important work forward to more audiences.
Emma Broad (She/Her)
Emma Broad is a contemporary freelance dance artist of Ngāi Tahu and Norwegian whakapapa. She is a graduate of the University of Auckland's Dance Studies programme and gained a first class honours in her final year. Emma has performed in a number of works including Malia Johnston's Rushes, Tempo's Bloom show in 2019, Splore festival with Dance Plant Collective and most recently Deborah Fletcher’s Our Jurisdiction at Basement Theatre. Emma was a part of the 2022 season of ‘This Room is an Island’ and adored the integration of audience, dancer and technology throughout.
Evie Logan (She/Her)
Evie is a dancer, performer and artist centred in multidisciplinary work. Based in Tamaki Makaurau, she performs in theatres, live events, festivals and on-screen. She holds a bachelors of Dance Studies from Auckland University and while studying, completed an exchange to New York. Since then, she has attended dance workshops in Malaysia, Berlin and around New Zealand. Recently Evie performed in Jessie McCall’s work, I Get So Emotional Baby, Deborah Fletcher’s Our Jurisdiction and Yin-Chi Lee’s 2023 iteration of This room is an Island.
Lara Chuo (She/Her)
Lara is a graduate of Unitec with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts Majoring in Contemporary Dance. Originally from the Phillipines, Lara has spent the last 11 years in New Zealand training as a dancer in multitudes of styles. Lara loves the performance aspect of dance and considers herself a performer first, then a dancer.
Lulu Qiu (She/Her)
Lulu is a contemporary freelance dancer, a graduate of Unitec with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts Majoring in Contemporary Dance, a collage artist,and peanut butter connoisseur. She starts the day with pics smunchy peanut butter on vogels toast before dancing her little heart out in This Room is an Island rehearsals. Lulu has worked with notable practitioners such as Sarah Foster-Sproull and Jawline Dance Collective. She is grateful for the freedom to dance without fear and to put politics into art. Ceasefire now. Free Palestine.
Minami Otaki (She/Her)
Minami is an undergraduate of the University of Auckland's Dance Studies Programme. Born and raised in Singapore, she began her dance journey in New Zealand in 2023. Minami takes great interest in collaborating with many amazing dancers in this season of This room is an island.
Nieve Wilson (She/Her)
Nieve is a recent graduand of the University of Auckland, having completed her bachelors degree in dance studies in 2023. Throughout her time studying Nieve has danced for Luck & Schooney, and choreographed for the National Youth Theatre. She also performed in the 2022 season of This Room is an Island and is thrilled to be returning to such a unique, immersive, and important work.
Zoe White (She/They)
Zoe is a freelance dance artist, teacher and choreographer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. After training at Rambert School from 2017-2020 and Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year in 2021, Zoe has loved building a community of awesome dancey people since returning home to NZ. Highlights include performing in works by the Ballet Collective Aotearoa, Tino Sehgal, Lesley Bandy, Mary-Jane O’Reilly, Emily Hurley and Yin-Chi Lee, and choreographing for the AHA Awards and YAGP semi-finals. After a successful 2022 season of This Room is an Island, Zoe is excited and proud to be co-presenting the 2024 edition of this immersive, profound work.
Virtual Architecture &
Visual Collaborators
Producers
Kyung Ho Min (He/Him)
Virtual architecture and collaborator
Darryl Chin (He/Him)
Visual Designer, Officer Performer, Marketing Team
Natalya Mandich-Dohnt (She/Her)
Visual Designer, Officer Performer, Marketing Team
Amy Griffin (She/Her)
Visual Designer, Officer Performer, Marketing Team
Kyung works as a spatial architect for This Room is an Island. Having graduated from the University of Auckland with masters degree in architecture, Kyung has been working in all kinds or hybridised projects combining virtual and physical spaces. Kyung has been working with Yin-Chi since 2020 and this year he’s bringing something bigger, more outrageous and fantastical to the audience!
Darryl Chin (b.Singapore) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the University of Auckland, where he developed a multi-faceted practice that oscillates between the fields of design, moving image, and installation to explore the impacts of technology on contemporary life. Utilising a range of new media tools to examine the collision of cultural sectors, Chin incorporates technological optimisation into his art-making and storytelling processes. His practice drives interactions between on-site participants and digital media through processes of transformation.
Natalya Mandich-Dohnt (she/her) is a producer with a passion for independent arts and sharing meaningful stories. She is a co-founder of Hand Pulled Collective, and has collaborated with Proudly Asian Theatre and Hot Shame. Natalya focuses on producing stories that bring us together and help us understand the world we live in. She has a varied background working in fundraising, events, development, and NGOs. In her spare time, she likes to make very detailed spreadsheets.
Amy Griffin, a recent graduate in Dance Studies from the University of Auckland, is pursuing her Masters of Dance, bringing her two-decade engagement with dance into a new phase. With a rich history in performance and teaching, Amy has seamlessly transitioned into the world of dance production. Flourishing behind the scenes, she demonstrates a particular flair for marketing and photography. Amy's diverse roles include Event Manager for Auckland University Dance Association 2023, Assistant Producer for "CLAS103: Greek Mythology" at Basement Theatre 2023, Producer of "No Time to Dry" at Basement Theatre 2024, Tempo Dance Festival "Capture" Film Festival Host, Tempo x Freshmans Dance Crew "Melting Pot" Tamaki Tour community support 2023, and her current position as the producer for "This Room is an Island." As a University of Auckland Creative Arts Industry Ambassador and teacher at the Great South Dance Academy, Amy has a multifaceted presence, shaping her impactful journey in the dance industry.
Officer Performers
Jasmine Reynolds (She/They)
Jasmine is a contemporary artist heading into their second year at Unitec in the Bachelor of Screen Arts Majoring in Contemporary Dance. She dabbles in various interests, including painting, crochet, and science, which they incorporate into their dance practice. Jasmine looks forward to further interlacing and enriching her practice through performing in ‘This Room is an Island,’ but also cannot wait to help showcase the beautiful mahi made by many talented creators.
Te Oka Toia (He/Him)
Te Oka Toia (Ngāpuhi, Waikato-Tainui) is a dancer and performer. With a background in chacha, salsa, ballroom and hip hop, Te Oka has been a dance teacher for close to 20 years. In 2022 he enrolled in formal education at a tertiary level, and he is now in his second year of a Bachelor of Dance Studies at the University of Auckland. He is a graduate of Te Wharekura o Hōani Waititi Marae and te reo Māori is his first language. Te Oka is interested in Māori contemporary dance and storytelling. He is also an avid reader of science fiction and graphic novels.
Tilly Hayden-Taylor (She/Her)
Following overseas training in Leeds, UK, Tilly recently graduated with a Bachelor of Dance Studies degree from the University of Auckland. Notably, alongside this, she has been awarded a summer research scholarship. Tilly is a freelance creator and artist with expertise in contemporary movement and has completed her training in RAD Ballet and NZAMD Jazz. She is presently engaged in her master's degree at the University of Auckland alongside dancing in Expanding Flesh by Joanna Cook and other notable professional endeavours.
Adrienne Tucker (She/Her)
Jasmine is a contemporary artist heading into their second year at Unitec in the Bachelor of Screen Arts Majoring in Contemporary Dance. She dabbles in various interests, including painting, crochet, and science, which they incorporate into their dance practice. Jasmine looks forward to further interlacing and enriching her practice through performing in ‘This Room is an Island,’ but also cannot wait to help showcase the beautiful mahi made by many talented creators.
Set Design
Eleanor Fletcher (She/Her)
Set Design and Maker
Eleanor Fletcher is a crafter, freelance dancer, choreographer and community worker. She is a graduate of Bachelor of Dance Studies at The University of Auckland and a participant in MASA 5-Month Intensive Dance Programme in Israel with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company 2023. Eleanor is a creative who loves working in and for creative arts industries as well as other rangatahi and tamariki communities. She specializes in contemporary dance and she is passionate about communicating through movement. She is creative and a creator in both tactile projects and movement choreography. Eleanor uses her interest in tactile creations throughout her community work, dance creations and educational work.
Music
Composition
Jefferson Chen (He/Him)
Music composition, operator
Jefferson is a multi-disciplinary artist from Tāmaki Makaurau. His main project, Goodspace, is one of multiple forms and collaborations: an acoustic soloist, an indie rock band, eccentric electronic textural experiments, and this time round, composer, arranger and sound designer for the immersive theatre piece known as, This Room is an Island.
Lighting
Design
Sean Curham
Lighting Design, operator
Sean Curham is a choreographer whose performances occur inside and outside the artworld. He received his PhD in 2010 from AUT University. Recent performances have taken place at Glitch (ST PAUL St Gallery, 2009), the Old Folks Ass. (20011, 2013), the New Performance Festival (2012), Freedom Farmers (Auckland Art Gallery, 2014), the Spectres of Evaluation Conference (2014) and the Festival of Uncertainty (2014). Curham is a member of Feasting House, a collective of independent artists who co-ordinated the Festival of Uncertainty.
THIS ROOM IS AN ISLAND TEAM 2024
By: Yin-Chi Lee and collaborators
Performers and Collaborators: Deborah Fletcher, Emma Broad, Evie Logan, Lara Chuo,
Lulu Qiu, Minami Otaki, Nieve Wilson, Zoe White
Virtual Designs: Darryl Chin, Kyung Ho Min
Music: Jefferson Chen
Co-producers: Natalya Mandich-Dohnt, Amy Griffin
Officer Performers: Adrienne Tucker, Darryl Chin, Jasmine Reynolds,
Te Oka Toia, Tilly Hayden-Taylor
Photography & Videography: Anna Benhakova, Yin-Chi Lee, Orise Enterprise
Graphic Design and Visual editing: Darryl Chin, Yin-Chi Lee
Backstage Manager: Adrienne Tucker
Photography and Videography by: Yin-Chi Lee, Orise Enterprise
Set and prop design: Eleanor Fletcher
Lighting: Sean Curham
Support: Ella Becroft Dr. Sarah Foster-Sproull, Talia Pua,
Historic Archival music: National Taiwan Museum 國立台灣歷史博物館, Taiwan 100 Years Soundscapes website 台灣音聲一百年
Special thanks: Pip White, Sarah Burren
Acknowledgement: Anna Lee, Angela Yen, Celine Dam, Chye-Ling Huang, Dr. Alys Longley,
Dr. Kristian Larsen, Dr. Mark Harvey, Dr. Ralph Buck, Jessie McCall, John Rata, Ko-Yang Chang, Jung-Hsu Wan, Orise Enterprise, Woody Sabanhdit, Red Leap Theatre, Te Pou Theatre,
The University of Auckland, and The University of Auckland Dance Studies Department
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FUNDERS & ORGANISATIONS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
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