Artist Profiles

Born in South Korea and a graduate of modern Korean and contemporary dance at the Busan Woman’s University. Seung Hi Lee is a choreographer, dancer, and educator. Since completing her training, she has worked and toured extensively as a modern dancer and educator with her own dance school, and as a choreographer with various companies. She came to Australia in 1998, where she completed her Certificate of Performing Arts at Dance World 301 in 1999, a Diploma in Dance Teaching and Management at Box Hill in 2001, and Post-Graduate and Master of Choreography at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2003 & 4. A highlight of her training was obtaining a scholarship of Choreography at the Performing Arts Centre of Box-Hill TAFE in 2001. She is also SCOPE artist in a partnership between Australian Council for the Arts and Australian Sport Commission, participating in a professional development  program.

Seung Hi is also co-founder of the KITA Performing Arts Company and since 2001 has performed with the company at community and corporate events, and toured Victorian schools with the Regional Arts Victoria Arts2Go program. She conducted three Artists in Schools projects funded by Arts Victoria in 2006,2007 and 2008.

In Bendigo where she now lives, she has taken part in Community Arts Development projects as a co-founding member of the Harvest Moon Festival partnership with The Golden Dragon Museum. The Harvest Moon Festival is now an annual Bendigo event with workshops culminating in a public performance. Currently she is an artistic director for the festival, which she has directed for three years running with Tales of the Moon 2007, Shadows on the Moon 2008 and Many Moons Ago 2009 as well as 2010 for the Journey to TaeGum San.

Seung Hi has created original contemporary dance works, choreographed and performed in various settings, including: The Candle, Fringe Festival, Castlemaine 2009; Through the Hoops, the Old Fire Station, Bendigo Performing Arts Centre; Exhale dance/drawing exhibition, Phyllis Palmer Gallery, La Trobe University, Bendigo, 2008; Close Black Box, Arts Centre, Melbourne; the Sweet Region program, Next Wave Festival, 2008; Mimo multimedia animation /dance project, The Old Fire Station, Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, 2007; Inhale, Allan’s Walk Artist Run Space, Bendigo, 2007; Seoul to Kyoto funded by Allan’s Walk Artist Run Space, Bendigo, 2006; Studies in Being Human by Bagryana Popov, the Dance House, Melbourne, 2006; Forgiveness and Pod at the VCA, Melbourne, 2004 & 2005.

Her latest work is a collaborative project incorporating Dance/ Multimedia live performance Moving On with Creatability group which providing opportunities through the arts for people of all abilities to express themselves and connect with others. The program is an initiative of the Golden City Support Service. The dance works presented in Bendigo, April, 2010.

Nicole is currently the Operations Manager of CentaVic ESL (English is as Second Language) Educational Services in Bendigo since 2002. She works with the Multicultural Community of Bendigo and Loddon Mallee Region in assisting with settlement and communication needs. CentaVic has 55 trained ESL volunteer tutors to assist their learners. She also looks after 47 different nationalities in the area.

Nicole has been involved in organising the Multicultural Festivals 2007 & 8 which included 15 nationalities from Asia and the Middle East performing their arts. She also works very closely within The Greater City of Bendigo on the skilled migration program. 

Nicole ‘s involvement with KITA is to arrange tours throughout Victoria and N.S.W. and also general liaison work for the company.

Born in Taiwan, Sabrina is a Choreographer, Performer, Singer and Cultural educator. Sabrina graduated with a Bachelor of Dance (Honors) at the Chinese Cultural University, Taipei and has extensive performing experience including a residency as principal contemporary dancer with the Taipei National Theatre, touring in Japan, Canada and in the USA at venues in New York, Washington, Hawaii, and Chicago.

Sabrina immigrated to Australia on a Distinguished Talent Visa in 1999. Since then she studied a Diploma of Dance Teaching & Management, at the Box Hill Institute of TAFE (2001) and has completed a Graduate Diploma of Choreography at the Victorian College of the Arts (2002). She has been awarded the Overseas Outstanding Youth Award by the Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations, Taiwan (2009); first prize in the Chinese Ex-Patriot Writer’s Competition Melbourne, 2003; and Best Artist in the Song Writing and Singing Competition, Yi Juan Youth Association, Taipei 1998.

Sabrina is a co-founding member of KITA and since 2001 she has choreographed, performed, and run workshops at schools, community events and festivals; and has toured Victorian schools with the Regional Arts Victoria Arts2Go program. She completed two Artists in Schools projects funded by Arts Victoria in 2007 Coconut, Rice and Bamboo and 2008 and The Golden Mountain, NSW with Cultural Infusion and Pan Event Entertainment, 2009.

Sabrina is co-founder of the Bendigo Harvest Moon Festival, in partnership with The Golden Dragon Museum, producing Tales of the Moon 2007, a community arts development project. Sabrina has collaborated with various local community groups and schools to choreograph various traditional dance works including Stories of the Autumn Harvest Moon (2007) with Vietnamese and Chinese elders and Trinity Primary school, Richmond in partnership with Art Play 2007.

Sabrina is also artistic director of the Sabrina Dance Troupe based in Melbourne which presents Chinese traditional dance in schools and at community events. The works presented are part of the Melbourne Chinese Community’s outreach program which aims to bring Chinese culture to Melbourne audiences. Events include the annual Lantern Moon & Dragon Boat Festival; the Buddha & Multicultural Festival, Federation Square; the New Year Festival, Crown; and the Tianjin Kite Festival and Moon Lantern Festival sponsored by the City of Boroondara.

Recently, Sabrina worked with contemporary dance choreographer Alistair MacIndoe from Chunky Move performing at the Meat Market. She performed in180 Seconds in (Disco) Heaven or Hell, part of the Dance Massive program presented by Arts House, and she was an ensemble singer and dancer in Miss Saigon with CLOC Musical Theatre. She also choreographed the contemporary dance work ABC at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2004.

Ruby Pai-Wei Kao was born in Taiwan. She holds a Certificate from the Chinese Folk Department of the Beijing Dance Institute and BA Dance (Honours) from the Chinese Cultural University, Taipei. This was followed by a period of research in traditional Chinese dance in Beijing. Ruby was a member of the Taipei Folk Dance Troupe and represented Taiwan in numerous cultural exchange performances in Macedonia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the US and in Asia. A career highlight was a performance of the Opera Aida, in German at the National Theatre in Taiwan.

Ruby has worked with KITA as a choreographer, calligrapher, performer and teacher since 2004 in Victorian schools, at festivals and corporate events, and she has toured Victorian schools with the Regional Arts Victoria Arts2Go program.

She is a co-founding member of the Bendigo Harvest Moon Festival, running a series of workshops which culminated with a public performance of Tales of the Moon (2007). Another successful project was Stories of the Autumn Harvest Moon, Birrarung Marr (2007) run in partnership with Art Play. 

Ruby has contributed her talents to the Chinese Community’s Sabrina Dance Troupe in the following works: the Dragon & Lantern Moon Festival, Melbourne Chinese Museum; the Buddha & Multicultural Festival, Federation Square; New Year Festival, Crown; the annual Tianjin Kite Festival; the Moon Lantern Festival sponsored by the City of Boroondara, 2006; and Australia Day Voyages at Federation Square with Cultural Infusion and Pan Event Entertainment, 2008. She conducted a dance program at the Kingston Youth Festival, 2005 and Tet Festival, North Richmond Community Centre, in 2004.

Recently, Ruby worked with contemporary choreographer Alistair MacIndoe from Chunky Move performing at the Meat Market and appeared in 180 Seconds in (Disco) Heaven or Hell as part of the Dance Massive Festival 2009 presented by Arts House.

YI ZHANG studied Classical Ballet and Chinese Folk Dance at the Shanghai Dance School before joining Shanghai Dance Company where she worked until 2002. She holds an Arts Management degree at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, a Bachelor of Dance and a Postgraduate Diploma in Classical Ballet Teaching from the Victorian College of the Arts. During her study in Melbourne Yi received the Encouragement Award (Friends of the VCA) and the Norma De Grucy Award for the Most Improved Student in Classical Ballet.

Performing credits include: - Chinese Spring Festival of 1996, 1997, 1998 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meeting in Shanghai (Major Chinese government events); 2000 Singapore Performing Arts Festival; 2000 Biennalle de la Danse de Lyon; Celebration for the return of Hong Kong and Macau in 1998 and 2001; America Ballet Theater at the Colorado Arts Festival in 2001; Shanghai World Expo 2010 Bid (Performance team 2002); Melbourne International Festival of the Arts 2006 (Arts Projects Australia); 2006 Commonwealth Games; Xing – Feng Feng Wang (Arts Centre Full Tilt program July 2006), Australia Day Celebrations 2009 in Federation Square; Reliquary – Soo Yeun You & Gina Rings (2009 Dreaming Festival).

Hee Eun was born in Korea, has trained intensively in Korean traditional and contemporary dance at Chung-Ang University. When she was 14 years old, she started as a professional dancer at Lee Mi-Joung Dance & Drama Company and was the youngest member. She choreographed `A Morning Glory'(CAU Art Center, Seoul , 2007 ), ‘We everyday dream' ( CAU Art Center, Seoul , 2007)

Performances in Europe included in Lee Mi-Joung Dance & Drama Company: Germany (ENGELSHOF of KöLN-PORZ, THOMAS-MANN-HAUS of NEUSS, STADTTHEATER EUBKIRCHEN 2000), Tous les temps (Hyundae Art Hall 1999), Lee Mi-Joung Choreographie Collection(Hyundae Art Hall 2001), Republic of Korea 6 Union Dance Exhibition (Incheon culture art center 2002), Youryuck-Muryuck (Ulsan culture art center 2002), Arirang (Ulsan culture art center 2003)

Other performances include in Kim Seung-Ill Dance Company in Korea & Japan : National Liberation Day Celebration the 60th anniversary (Major Korean government events 2005), Bock Sa Goal Dance Festival (Bucheon city hall 2006), Sung-Nam International Dance Festival open performance (Opera House in Sung-Nam ART Centre 2006), Dance of Korea in Japan (Awa Odori Festival at Tokushima 2006), Baudeogi Festival (Anseong citizens stage 2006), World Military Festival 2006, Korea Sila cultural festival 2006, Yarisudun 2007 chung-pung (Sejong Art Centre), Namhansansung Story (Sungnam International Dance Festival 2007), Presidential Inauguration (Major Korean government events in 2008),

Performance included in Ko-re Dance Company were :WCO Asia-Pacific Customs officials meeting (Major Korean government events 2008) , WCO China ,Japan World Conference on Customs (Major Korean government events 2008), Hawsung tradition festival 2008. Hee-Eun taught intensively before moving to Australia in 2009, and is KITA’s newest member.

Yasushi was born in Japan and is a professional street and breakdancer. His repertoire also includes Capoeira (Brazilian Martial Arts), Wu-Shu (Chinese Martial Arts) and Kendo (Japanese Fencing). He came to Australia in 2001 to develop his skills and enter competitions such as the Australian National Breakdance Championship in 2001 where he won first place; the Battle of the Year Australia Breakdance Finals (first place in 2002 and 2003); Throw Down Vol 7 Breakdance 2005 (first place) and OZ, B-boy Breakdance Battle 2006 (second place). He acquired an Australian Permanent Residency Visa as a distinguished talent in 2005.

Since then Yasushi has had a very tight schedule of performances and professional work in Melbourne, Sydney, NSW and New Zealand. He has performed in the theatre show Heroes at the Dancekool Theatre in Sydney (2005) in Melbourne Breaks (2005) and at the Music and Dance Festival at the Sydney Opera House (2006). He has appeared in films, television programs and music clips and his TVC credits include commercials for Toyota (2008), Mazda (2006), VB (2004) and Fruitopia (2001).