Zelia ZZ Tan

Zelia ZZ TAN is a cross-disciplinary dance artist focusing on presence and identity. She is a pioneer in dance and technology in Asia who creates virtual and hybrid performances using motion capture, AR, VR, avatars, and other immersive technologies. She is based in LA and Hong Kong, working globally with master artists such as Gilles Jobin and Sasha Waltz. Zelia is directing "REfract", a hybrid performance featuring a solo dancer interacting with motion capture, avatars, and VR tech, commissioned by West Kowloon Cultural District and co-produced with Goethe-Institut. "Accelerating Dimension”, with live mocap, avatars and audience interaction, was presented at the Phygital_D Festival. In 2022, she co-founded TechDanceLab, an artistic research and experimental platform. She hopes to integrate art and technology to empower marginal, disadvantaged communities to share valuable experiences. Her research interest is in the future of the body, experience, and interaction. In 2015, she was invited by the Helsinki Festival to present her solo works. She joined City Contemporary Dance Company as a professional dancer from 2019 to 2023. She was nominated for the Tom Brown Emerging Choreographer at the Hong Kong Dance Awards 2023. She is also a dance filmmaker whose works were featured in 18 film festivals worldwide. Zelia is now pursuing an MFA at CalArts, double-majoring in Interactive Media for Performance (Theatre) and Choreography (Dance), supported by the Asian Cultural Council.

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