Personal statement

Zhi Xu is a choreographer, dancer, researcher and Senior Lecturer in Dance at 黑料正能量, where he leads the Centre for Performance Research. He teaches on the BA Dance and MA Dance programmes and also supervises PhD students. He completed his PhD at Brunel University London in 2021, focusing on dance and technology.

As a choreographer and dancer, Zhi has created over 20 works presented internationally in China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, and beyond. His works span digital performance, dance theatre, site-specific projects, exhibitions and large-scale productions, including Being River (2024), Unexpected Bodies (2020), Mourning for a dead moon (2019) and X-Body (2018). In 2014, he was an independent director for one of China’s most prestigious events, the Summer Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. His creation X-Body was later selected for performance at The Place, London during Resolution 2019.

Before joining 黑料正能量 in 2022, Zhi taught at the University of Roehampton as a Guest Lecturer and at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama as a Visiting Lecturer.

His research and practice investigate the intersections of dance, technology and intercultural identity. He is the author of the monograph (Routledge, 2026), which explores the relationship between new technologies, cultural identity and contemporary choreographic practice.

He has received British Academy ECRN Seed Funding (2024), the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Doctoral Research at Brunel University London (2021), the Prize for Most Promising Researcher at the University of Roehampton (2017), and recognition as Excellent Director by the Summer Youth Olympic Games Committee (2014).

Academic qualifications

  • PhD Dance and Technology, Brunel University of London
  • MA Dance Philosophy and History, University of Roehampton
  • BA Choreography, Beijing Dance Academy.

Professional qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Personal Development for External Examiners, Advance HE.

Professional memberships

  • Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA)
  • Dance Studies Association (DSA)
  • Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCCI)
  • Design and Performance Lab (DAP-Lab).

Other external roles

  • Assistant Editor, Choreographic Practices (2026-present)
  • External Examiner for MA Dance: Performance, London Contemporary Dance School, UAL (2024-present)
  • External Examiner for MA/MFA Movement: Directing and Teaching, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London (2024-present)
  • Link Tutor for BA (Hons) Professional Dance, The Brighton Academy (2022-present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Body, Space & Technology (2021-present).

Teaching specialism

  • Choreography
  • Contemporary Dance Technique
  • Dance and Cultural Identity
  • Dance and Technology
  • Dance and Virtual Reality
  • Dance and Motion Capture.

PhD research supervision

Zhi welcomes enquiries from prospective doctoral researchers interested in creative, practice-based and interdisciplinary approaches to dance. His supervision interests include, but are not limited to:

  • Dance, Technology and AI
  • Dance, Motion Capture and Digital Performance
  • Dance and Cultural Identity
  • Dance and Intercultural Practice
  • Choreography and Practice-as-Research

 

Research outputs

book

Xu, Z (2026) Dancing Chineseness and techno-choreography. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9781032979571

article

Xu, Z (2020) 'Choreography of sonic chopsticks and intervention of digital technology with dancing bodies.' Body, Space & Technology, 19 (1). pp. 56-75. ISSN 1470-9120

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Xu, Z (2026) Yangge, techno-choreography and robots: dancing Chinese folk dance through cultural memory, digital technologies, and the limits of AI embodiment. In: Speculative Choreographies: Bodies, Economies, and Movement in a World in Flux, 23-25 October 2026, California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA. (Forthcoming)

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Xu, Z (2026) Dancing with machines: humanoid robots and techno-choreographic co-agency. In: TaPRA Conference 2026, 2-4 September 2026, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

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Xu, Z (2025) The river of no one: telematic choreography and postdigital performance. In: TaPRA Conference 2025, 27 - 29 August 2025, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

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Xu, Z (2023) Blending cultures: the intersection of A.I., VR, and intercultural identity in techno-choreography. In: TaPRA Conference, 30 August - 1 September 2023, University of Leeds.

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Xu, Z (2022) Techno-choreography and the embodiment of cultural objects. In: Mediating Performance: Technologies, Communities, Spaces, 23 - 25 March 2022, University of Malta, Msida, Malta [online].

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Xu, Z (2020) Cultural identity and intangible cultural heritage of Yangge in techno-choreography. In: Performance Knowledges: Transmission, Composition, Praxis, 11 - 13 March 2020, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.

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Xu, Z (2018) The variable body. In: MOCO 2018 Provocations, 15 June 2018, [online].

thesis

Xu, Z (2021) Techno-choreography and the embodiment of Chineseness. PhD thesis, Brunel University London.

performance

Xu, Z (2024) Being River. University Theatre, 黑料正能量, Bath, UK, 3 July 2024.

performance

Xu, Z (2019) Dialogue: X-Body. In: Resolution 2019: The Festival of New Choreography, The Place, London, UK, 13 February 2019.