Joseph Victor Gonzales

In 2017, he was appointed as a professor and Head of Academic Studies/MFA Program Leader in Dance at The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

Productions and performances of recent years: "P. Ramlee, Musical " (2007) at the Palace of Culture in Kuala Lumpur, “Hamlet” (2007), “Passion” (2007) at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center, ”Rhythms in Bronze” (2011), The Two (2013) ), "Rise" (2013) in the Penang Center for the Performing Arts, "Enter/Exit" (2014), "Suara (2011) "The Last Tea Party" (2013) for ASWARA, "Becoming King… the Pakyung Revisited" (2014 and 2015), and "Seru" (2016).

Since 1999, his choreography presentations have begun to reflect more deeply the issues he is passionate about - giving voice to the disenfranchised and marginalized, as well as addressing the social and political challenges that are deeply embedded in society. In 2011, he established a professional dance company ASK Dance Company that presents work in Malaysia and at international festivals. The company also promotes and revives traditional Malay dances through its Forging Traditions outreach program supported by Sime Darby Foundation. http://www.askdancecompany.com/

Under his leadership at ASWARA, he produced innumerable ground-breaking productions celebrating traditional dance and multicultural identity such as "Main Zapin", "Tapestry", "Asyik", "Crossing Borders in Bharatanatyam", "Hang Li Po" as well as being the Artistic Director of the international Tari series, a festival of international universities of the arts from 1998 to 2014. His personal productions can be described as an avant-garde ballet and cutting edge contemporary dance, notable for its originality of dance ideas and techniques. His credo: "Dance and you will enjoy freedom".

He has participated and presented his creative work in choreographic festivals in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Japan, Belgium, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. In 1993 he took part in the Opening ceremony of the XIX International Festival of Independent Cinema in Brussels and in 1998 - the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. He represented Malaysia at the Philadelphia Dance Festival (2000), and presented his research papers at several international conferences across the globe.

In 1986, he graduated from the Mathematical Department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Malaya. He received a dance training and choreographic education at the Davis Ballet School in Sussex (1987-1990), the London Studio Center (1991), simultaneously completing the Royal Academy of Dance and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance accreditation (1992) in England. In 2006, he completed his master's program at Middlesex University. In 2010 he defended his doctoral dissertation at University of Malaya.

He started dancing as a student, in 1981-1984 he participated in the choreographic ensemble "Kesuma" of the University of Malaya and at the Frances Ballet Academy, and in 1984-1986 at the Federal Academy of Ballet. In 1992-1994 he was a full-time ballet, modern dance, tap and jazz dance teacher at the Federal Academy of Ballet. In this times, he served as Assistant Artistic Director to Lee Lee Lan for the Kuala Lumpur Dance Theatre. From 1994 - he worked as a lecturer at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA formerly known as National Arts Academy), and became Dean of the Faculty of Dance in 1998. He remained in this position until 2015. He served as President of MyDance Alliance (1999-2001), Co-Chairman of the Asian Dance Committee, Seoul, South Korea (2011-2017), adjudicator for the Singapore Youth Festival since 2008, and Sprouts, a young choreographers’ platform in Singapore as well as Vice-President South East Asia World Dance Alliance (2011-2016).

Joseph Victor Gonzales (born June 22, 1960, Kuala Lumpur) is a Malaysian choreographer, who is professionally known as Joseph Gonzales. Currently, he is a recognized expert in the choreography and interpretation of traditional dances in Malaysia, prominent in the theater and in the field of dance pedagogy (he published a number of significant books and manuals). He is widely regarded as one of the leading voices in Asia and specifically Southeast Asia.

Joseph Victor Gonzales was born in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 22 June 1960. He received his elementary school education at the La Salle Primary School and secondary education at the La Salle Secondary School in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.