ResDance Series 9: Episode 5: Being stubbornly curious with Dam Van Huynh

ResDance Series 9: Episode 5: Being stubbornly curious with Dam Van Huynh In this episode, Dam reflects on his background and experiences as a dancer and choreographer, grounding our conversation in his life journey as a child refugee who fled Vietnam with his family. He shares how these lived experiences continue to shape him both personally and artistically.  We explore the choreographic methods heemploys to create work—his use of collage-like approaches, provocations, and the articulation of voice, alongside themes of displacement and what it means to be a displaced person. In his choreographic practice, he invites his dancers, collaborators, and audiences to explore and navigate these ideas alongside him. Through his work with his company, Van Huynh Company, and Centre 151—a hub for culture, arts, and community, he highlights the importance of visibility and representation for young artists. Lastly, he expresses hope that the next generation of artists will continue to see thebroader potential and purpose of the art form for themselves. Biography Originally from Southern Vietnam, Dam Van Huynh is a UK based dancer/choreographer. As a child refugee, his family and he fled Vietnam after the war and settled in the USA where Dam was raised. He founded his own company in 2008, Van Huynh Company. Dam was appointed Director of Centre 151 - a hub for culture, arts and community in 2016.  His work is an implicit and ongoing attempt to synthesize the most dynamic and revolutionary aspects of the dual dynamic of his Vietnamese heritage and Western influences. In his latest touring productions, Dam redefines ownership of his story, calling out inequalities within society: Moving Eastman (2025), Exquisite Noise (2024), Re:birth (2022), In Realness (2022). He graduated from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee andhas worked as a performer with various companies and choreographers including The Nevada Ballet, Merce Cunningham, Portugal’s Companhia de Dança Contemporânea, Richard Alston, Phoenix Dance Theatre. His works are performed internationally and include commissions from CEPRODAC (Mexico), Unlock Dancing Plaza (Hong Kong), British Museum, Fóramen M. Ballet (Mexico).  Developing a deep artistic connection with composer,vocalist and movement artist Elaine Mitchener since 2009, they have together expanded the possibilities of performance through the use of sound and body. Dam is a Rauschenberg Residency Fellow (USA), he was Artist-in-Residence at TheHong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA 2010-12), Associate Artist with Dance United (2012-14), Head of Contemporary Dance at HKAPA (2019-23) and Associate Director of Dance Bridges Festival – Kolkata, India (2015-25). Photo credit: Thuan Lam Hieu Website and Social media channels Website: www.damvanhuynh.com www.instagram.com/vanhuynhcompany www.facebook.com/VanHuynhCompany Other social media handles Centre 151 www.instagram.com/centre151 https://www.facebook.com/Centre151 Website: www.centre151.com Collaborator Elaine Mitchenerwww.elainemitchener.com Please share this episode with students, educators, practitioners, performers, and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.