Dam Van Huynh
Originally from Southern Vietnam, Dam Van Huynh is a UK based dancer and choreographer. As a child refugee, his family and he fled Vietnam after the war and settled in the USA where Van Huynh was raised. He founded his own company in 2008: Van Huynh Company.
Van Huynh was appointed Artistic Director of Centre 151, a hub for culture, arts and community in 2016. He is Associate Director of the Dance Bridges Festival, an international dance biennale in Kolkata, India. He currently works between the UK and Hong Kong where he is Head of Contemporary Dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
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, Van Huynh redefines ownership of his story, calling out inequalities within the arts and society: “Re:birth” (2022), “In Realness” (2022). Developing a deep artistic connection with Elaine Mitchener since 2009, they have expanded the possibilities of performance through the use of sound and body. Throughout the years, Van Huynh also collaborated with many other remarkable musicians, sound artists and composers such as George E. Lewis, Jason Yarde, Laure M. Hiendl, Dai Fujikura, Matana Roberts, David Toop, Tansy Davies, Hannah Kendall, Rie Nakajima, Martyna Poznanska, Jamie Hamilton, Ian Tang, amongst others. Future engagements include a Rauschenberg Residency (USA) and a new creation for his company.
As of January 2023