Dr Zhi Xu

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Zhi Xu is a choreographer, dancer, researcher and Senior Lecturer in Dance at Bath Spa University. He completed a PhD focusing on dance technology and cultural identity at Brunel University London in 2021. As a choreographer and dancer, he has created more than 20 works touring world-wide in China, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Belgium, Malaysia and Israel. As an independent artist, he has cooperated with Chinese film directors Chen Kaige and Tian Zhuangzhuang from 2010 to 2016. His works include dance drama, dance theatre, site-specific dance, exhibitions and large-scale projects, including Being River (2024), X-Body (2019), Kun.Peng (2017) and Chasing The Dream (2014). He joined one of China's most prestigious events as an independent director at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. His latest creation X-Body has been chosen to be performed at The Place in Resolution 2019.

Zhi graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Beijing Dance Academy (2008) and a Master Degree from the University of Roehampton (2017). He joined Beijing Modern Dance Company in 2008 and became an independent artist since 2012. He has been awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Prize for Doctoral Research (2021), the Vice-Chancellor's Travel Prize (2020), the Vice-Chancellor's Prize of Poster Conference (2019) at Brunel University London, the Prize for Most Promising Researcher (2017) at the University of Roehampton and the Excellent Director by the 2nd Summer Olympic Games Committee in 2014.