Xiao Ke, Choreographer & Performance Artist.

At the age of six, Xiao Ke began her Chinese traditional dance education and training, which lasted for twelve years until she was enrolled by Fudan University in Shanghai from where she studied modern dance by herself. In 1998, she founded her own dance studio “XK Dance Studio”.

In 2002, she started transmedia collaboration with contemporary artists. In 2005, together with Zhang Xian and other artists, she co-founded ZuHe Niao Physical Theater Company in Shanghai and the company won ZKB Award in Zurich Theater Spektakel in 2006.

In 2007, UGLY Performing art Studio was founded in Beijing. In 2011, she co-founded Cannot Help Art Collective with Zhou Zihan and Zhang Yuan that aims at probing into social issues through art that is transboundary and diverse.

Xiao Ke’s works have been invited and shown in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, UK, Ireland and Japan etc. In recent years, as an independent artist, Xiao Ke has been pioneering the road for performing art as well social theater which speaks a lot closely about the reality in today’s China, and the artistic forms are various, no longer limited within the theater.

During the collaboration with visual artist and sound designer Zhou Zihan, Xiao Ke extends her works into photography, video and installation that focus on personal body exploring the extreme of expression under the public context in China.

A series of outdoor social theatre works collaborated between Xiao Ke and Zhou Zihan is to realize the contemporary performance arts in the public environment. It connects the personal life of the artists with the city where they live and pushes the performing art onto the street, which engenders the opportunity to have contacts and interaction as much as possible with the public. By restoring the artists’ ideas back into life, Darling Hurt fulfills the life process of the idea that what comes from life vanishes into life.

1979 Born in YunNan China
1997-2007 Work and live in Shanghai
2007- 2010 Work and live in Beijing
2010- Present Work and live in Shanghai

1998 Found XiaoKe Dance Studio, focus on contemporary dance creation and performance
2003 Found KKLEE Studio, focus on contemporary art collaboration with dance
2005 Found Zuhe Niao Collective, focus on physical theater creation and performance
2007 Found UGLY Studio, focus on international collaboration and performing art
2011 Found Can Not Help Group, focus on social theater performance art

Highlights:
2006 “Tongue’s Memory of Home” won the highest ZKB award in Zurich Theater Spektakel
2006 “No Others” won Silver Award in ShangHai Down Stream Idea Festival
2007 “The Left Cheek” got the support from Holland Prince Claus Foundation
2007 “Sickroom #Ji” got the support from Amsterdam JULIDANS Festival
2008 “PingTan Tales” got the support from Germany National Culture Foundation
2008 “Dialogue” got the support from Ireland Dublin City Council
2010 “Silent Acappella” got the support from Swiss Culture Scapes
2011 “ Silent Acappella “ got support from Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales Paris
2012 “Stupid, Dance!” got the support from Tanzhaus Nrw Dusseldorf
2012 Book “China’s independent dance theater” got support from Tanzhaus Nrw Dusseldorf
2013 “One sweet dream in the garden” got support of Four cross-strait cultural center China
2014 “Miniascape”got the support from Cultural Affairs Government of Japan

Contemporary Dance works:
1998 “Sky Burial”
1999 “Turning Scriptures”
2000 “Burning Soul”, “YuanDuFuShu”
2001 “Show”, “Divide”, “Do not love”, “Black and White”
2002 “Domination”, “Attack from Dinosaur”, “Great United world”, “Puppet”, “Crisis”
2003 “Being”
2004 “Warm”, “Touch”
2005 “Murmur”, “Time Space II”, “Utitled I”, “From A to Z”
2006 “BIRD”, “Rolling”

Physical / Dance Theater works:
2005 “Tongue’s Memory of Home” (ZuheNiao’s Production)
2006 “No others”
2006 “Sickroom I #14”
2007 “The Left Cheek” (ZuheNiao’s Production)
2008 “Sickroom II #Ji” (Collaborated with Japanese video artist Matsuo)
2008 “Dialogue” (Collaborated with Irish choreographer Fearghus)
2008 “PingTan Tales” (Cooperated with German artists Gesine, Susanna)
2009 “Overseas” (Collaborated with Swiss choreographer Simon)
2010 “Sickroom III QING.MING”
2010 “Touch Listening”
2010 “Humanimal” (Cooperated with Scotish choreographer Janis Claxton )
2010 “Stupid Dance”
2010 “Silent Acappella”
2011 “Are you alright?”
2011 “Sickroom IV The Crow”
2012 “Sickroom V To and Fro”
2012 “Stupid, Dance!”
2012 “Night of Remember”
2013 “One Sweet dream in the garden”
2014 “Cache”
2014 “With”
2014 “Miniascape”

Dance Film works:
2003 “Foam”
2004 “Dance as Fish”
2005 “Murmur”
2005 “Pas de Deuy des Fantomes”（Collaborated with Amercan artist Amy Caron）
2013 “Eslewhere” (Collaborated with artist Zhou Zihan)

The Conceptual performing art works:
2009 “When I dance You will see my ass”
2009 “Stay with me overnight”
2010 “201001011000”
2010 “Y”
2011 “Diary”
2012 “Now as then”

The social theater art works:
2011 “Darling Hurt I The rainbow”
2011 “Darling Hurt II All approval”
2011 “Darling Hurt III Rolling”
2011 “Darling Hurt IV Ready, Go! “
2012 “Darling Hurt V Crush”
2013 “We forgot to tell you there is a date this Sunday afternoon”
2013 “We aplogize to inform you”
2014 “Hall”
2014 “To be confirmed”

The crossover collaboration art works:
2002 “Love” (Cooperated with French artist Frank)
2003 “Swedish Swedish” (Collaborated with Swedish musicians in DDM Space)
2003 “Open Close” (Collaborated with Shanghai DDM Art Space)
2004 “Apart from Move and Unmove” (Collaborated with performance artist SuBin)
2004 “Bamboo” (Collaborated with artist ShiJian’s installation)
2004 “Trigger” (Collborated with musician FengJiangZhou)
2005 “Untinged” (Collaborated with French musician Oliver and Chinese artist LiuBin)
2005 “Trisection of Enchanting” (Collaborated with High Shanghai Space)
2006 “Revenge of YinYang” (Collaborated with Hongkong musician LiJinSong)
2006 “Between Others” (Collaborated with Architect ChenXuDong)
2006 “Face” (Collaborated with visual artists from Shanghai Internet Biennale)
2006 “Touch Listening” (Collaborated with Chinese electric musician HuZi)
2008 “Above The White” (Collaborated with Chinese artist Jiang Zhi)
2009 “Time Theater Exhibition” (Collaborated with Chinese artist Wang Jian Wei)
2011 “Si Lang Tan Mu” (Collaborated with Chinese artist Xu Xiao Guo)
2013 “One Sweet Dream In The Garden” (Collaborated with Kun Qu opera artist Yang Kun)
2013 “Tour” (Collaborated with musicans Xu feng Xia and Zhou Zihan)

Curator of contemporary art events/exhibition:
2003 “Say Hello to 2004” (Interactive performance with dance and live music bands)
2005 “Funny Shanghai” (Iteractive performance with live music, dance, video art and TaiJi)
2005 “DREAM” (Interactive performance with dance, live music)
2005 “Art Cabaret” (Interactive performance with dance, music and poem)
2006 “Premeditation” (Conceptual art performance included music, dance, drama and video)
2013 “Solo Festival” (Art festival forcusing on individual performing art)
2014 “Now Theater” (COART festival in LiJiang China)

Performance and Exhibition Experience:
2004 Oct Shanghai Biennale -- “Trigger”
2005 Apr Paris China Contemporary Art Exhibition -- “BIRD”
2005 May Beijing DaShanZi International Art Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2005 Jun Nanjing China Triennial -- “Untinged”
2005 Dec Shanghai HighShanghai Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2006 Apr Shanghai ZhuQiZhan Museum -- “Touch Listening”
2006 Jul Amsterdam JULIDANS Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”, “Rolling”
2006 Aug Zurich Theater Spektakel -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2006 Oct Beijing Crossing Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2006 Nov Shanghai Fringe Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2006 Nov Shanghai DDM Art Space -- “Sickroom #14”
2006 Dec Shanghai ZendaiMoMa -- “Touch Listening”
2007 Jun Berlin Hebbal Circuitous China Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2007 Jul Amsterdam JULIDANS – Invited for Choreographers Communication Meeting
2007 Jul SalzbergTheater Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”, “The Left Cheek”
2007 Sep Beijing Three Shadow Visual Art Center -- “Touch Listening”
2007 Oct Beijing Crossing Festival -- “The Left Cheek”
2007 Oct Shanghai Fringe Festival -- “The Left Cheek”
2007 Nov Ireland Dublin City Council Artist Collaboration Project -- Invited artist
2007 Nov Italy Roma International Theater Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2007 Dec Beijing New Youth Show -- “Sickroom #Ji”
2008 Jan HongKong Fringe Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory of Home”
2008 Feb- Apr Germany Berlin Sophiensaele Theater -- “PingTan Tales”
2008 Apr Berlin Dock 11 -- “Touch Listening”
2008 Apr Berlin China Contemporary Art Exhibition -- “Touch Listening”
2008 Jul Amsterdam JULIDANS Festival -- “The Left Cheek”, “Sickroom #Ji”
2008 Jul Ireland Dublin Dance House -- “Dialogue”
2009 Feb Singapore HuaYi Festival -- “Tongue’s Memory Of Home”
2009 Mar Oslo ChinAMove Festival -- “The Left Cheek”
2009 Mar Potsdam ChinAMove Festival -- “The Left Cheek”
2009 Mar Dusseldorf ChinAMove Festival -- “The Left Cheek”
2009 Mar Munster ChinAMove Festival -- “The Left Cheek”
2009 Jun Beijing PengHao Theater -- “Dialogue”
2009 Jul Edinburgh Fringe Festival -- “Dialogue”
2009 Oct Beijing -- “Overseas”
2009 Oct Shanghai Fringe Festival -- “Stay with me overnight”
2009 Nov Beijing Today Art Museum -- “Time Theater Exhibition”
2009 Dec Beijing “Also Space” Exhibition -- “When I dance You will see my ass”
2010 Jan China 5 cities -- “201001011000”
2010 Apr Beijing Crossing Festival -- “Sickroom III QING.MING”
2010 May Shanghai Expo Ireland Pavilion -- “Dialogue”
2010 Jun Shanghai Expo Germany Pavilion -- “PingTan Tales”
2010 Jun Hangzhou XiHu Music Festival -- “Touch Listening”
2010 Jul Shanghai Expo UK Pavilion -- “Humanimal”
2010 Aug Shanghai -- “Stupid Dance”
2010 Sep Shanghai Dance Storm Festival -- “Touch Listening”
2010 Oct Shanghai Autumn Festival -- “Sickroom III QING.MING”
2010 Nov Shanghai MAMALA Festival -- “Y”
2010 Nov Gessnerallee Zürich, Swiss Culture Scapes Festival -- “Silent Acappella”
2010 Nov Dampfzentrale Bern, Swiss Culture Scapes Festival -- “Silent Acappella”
2010 Nov Theater Chur, Swiss Culture Scapes Festival -- “Silent Acappella”
2010 Nov Kaserne Basel, Swiss Culture Scapes Festival -- “Silent Acappella”
2011 Apr Shanghai Jue Festival -- “Silent Acappella”
2011 May Paris France, French Rencontres Choregraphiques Festival -- “Silent Acappella”
2011 Jul Guangzhou Modern Dance Festival -- “Silent Acappella”
2011 Aug Edinburgh Fringe Festival -- “Humanimal”
2011 Sep Shanghai -- “Darling Hurt I The Rainbow”
2011 Sep Shanghai -- “Darling Hurt II All Approval”
2011 Nov Shanghai Theater Valley Festival -- “Are You Alright?”
2011 Dec Hongkong IDANCE Festival -- “Sickroom IV The Crow”
2011 Dec Shenzhen Fringe Festival -- “Darling Hurt III Rolling”
2011 Dec Shenzhen Fringe Festival -- “Darling Hurt IV Ready, Go!”
2011 Dec Beijing “Harmony+Love” Art Exhibition -- “Si Lang Tan Mu”
2011 Dec Shanghai Rockbund Art Museum, -- “Sickroom IV The Crow”
2012 May Shanghai “Darling Hurt V Crush”
2012 June/July Beijing “Playing the Fool” Festival “Sickroom V To and Fro”
2012 Nov/Dec Duselldorf/Dresten/Munster Germany “Stupid,Dance!”
2012 Dec Berlin Germany “Night of Remember”
2012 Dec Shenzhen OCAT Festival “Now as then”
2012 Dec Guangzhou ShuiBian Bar “Now as then”
2013 Feb Shanghai Expo Gallary "Darling Hurt I The Rainbow"

2013 Apr Hangzhou qian Wang Temple "One sweet dream in the garden" 

2013 Sep Shanghai On Stage "Tour"

2013 Sep Hangzhou qian Wang Temple "One sweet dream in the garden"
2013 Oct Shanghai Basement6 "We forgot to tell you there is a date this Sunday afternoon"

2013 Oct Beijing "Open" Live Art Festival "Crush-To & Fro"

2013 Oct Shanghai “Filter of Public” Contemporary Art Exhibition “Transparent Phenomenon”
2013 Oct Shanghai ZhuJiaJiao Contemporary Art Exhibition "We apologize to inform you"
2013 Nov "Collapse" The exhibition of 10 artists from China and Germany. "Gone with words" 2014 Feb Yokohama TPAM Japan "We apologize to inform you"

2014 Mar Shanghai Eight ART Hotel Exihibition "C Zone"
2014 Apr LiJiang COART Festival “In the name of the dinner”, “Now as then”
2014 Jun Tailand Phuket “Island”
2014 Sep Hai Kou International Youth Experimental Arts Festival “With”
2014 Oct Shanghai Powerstation of art museum “Cache”
2014 Oct Turin Italy Oriental Design Week “With”
2014 Oct Shanghai Dong Chang cinema exhibition “Hall”
2014 Nov Shanghai Biennale “To be confirmed”
2014 Dec HongKong I Dance Festival “Miniascape”
2015 Feb Yokohama TPAM Japan “Miniascape”