Biography

Born in Malaysia, 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, 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, Voice and Visual design.

Tony has received numerous nominations and awards including his solo work The Decay of the Angel which won him a Green Room Award for Best Male Dancer. Tony received an AsiaLink residential grant to work in Indonesia in 2005. He returned to his place of birth to research into the Malaysian shamanistic trance practice for E1 - Evocation of a Lost Boy.

Tony received a two-year Dance fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts to develop and produce a major solo work, The Buddha Body Series, presented over 2009-2010, culminating in the critically acclaimed work, Rasa Sayang. www.tonyyapcompany.com