Carmen Yih
Carmen’s practice skates along the boundaries of hybrid dance-theatre and multimedia art to tell stories that draw on forgotten histories and marginalised voices.
Cred. Maddie Roux, Gregory Lorenzutti, Lewrece
Bio
In 2024, Carmen presented M_N as part of the Creative Brimbank Be Bold Residency program, tackling the impact of toxic masculinity on youth mental health through street dance-theatre. She has presented numerous works including ‘Texture of Absence’ at Platform Arts Geelong with Jiawen Feng - a quiet ode to grief and loss, 'Home' at Union House Theatre, and ‘REGENESIS’ at Amplify: Bridge, Bluestone Church Arts Space, and Club Luv, Alt House. Most recently she was commissioned by Stephanie Lake Company to develop I.E.T (Idol for the End of Times). Carmen will also be developing ‘to disappoint a god.’ for the 2025 Melbourne Fringe Season. She is also a 2024 Dancehouse ICP Participant and Class of 2025 Converse All Star.
Carmen is the founder of Space Generate - an interdisciplinary freestyle jam session facilitating storytelling through art, bringing together musicians, dancers, and writers in a mixed-medium conversation. Interested in street and club dance forms, Carmen practices dance-style ‘Punking/Whacking’ originating from 1970s LA underground gay bars - most recently learning from last living originator of the style, Viktor Manoel, and Burncity Krump, training in the 2000s street dance form originating from South Central, LA. Carmen also seconded with L2R Dance and Sydney Dance Company and co-designed Next Wave’s World+ curated by MaggZ.
As a performer she has performed in Miet Warlop’s One Song (2024), Jonathan Homsey’s Thoughts on Destiny (2024), Amelia Jean O’Leary’s CODED (2025), James Batchelor's Gesturing, Weaving, Unfolding (2023), Alleyne Dance’s HOME (2023) for Shepparton Festival, SWARM at Science Gallery Melbourne (2022) and Butterfly Soupe at La Mama's War-rak Banksia Festival (2022). During her time at the VCA, Carmen was awarded the University of Melbourne Lionel Gell Foundation Scholarship and Paul and Donna Dainty Award for her excellence in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance).
In her screendance practice, Carmen has developed ‘一层一层/Layer by Layer’ (2022) for the 2022 Signal Arts Screen and Sound Commissions for which she was awarded Most Outstanding Senior Performer by Form Dance Projects, and 'Empty Your Plate' (2023) for the 2023 Blackbird Protostars program. Her film ‘The Panopticon’ (2021) was officially selected for the Mobile Dance Film Festival.
Carmen also has experience in publicity, arts administration and producing roles. She has coordinated and executed multi-channel marketing campaigns for Flare Dance Ensemble, Green Room Award-Winning Melbourne Fringe Show ‘Άπειρη Στοργή | Infinite Affection’, Cainz University of Melbourne, and Diverse Dancers Australia, connecting her theoretical marketing studies with practical experience.
In 2024, she was assistant producer for (nexus) x Next Wave at High Note. In 2023, she produced VCA Student Works and stage managed L2R Block Party. With Flare Dance Ensemble, she led the committee as the 2022 Vice-President in the production and promotion of two full-length productions, delivery of weekly free casual dance classes to students, streamlining of fee-for-service performances and the implementation of initiatives that responded to the growth in interest in street dance freestyle forms.
Click to see Curriculum Vitae
Click to see shortened biography and personal lineage
Contact
Instagram: @hitahhchi
Email: hitahhchi@gmail.com
