About the choreographer

Yang Zhen is a choreographer and artistic director from China’s post-90s generation. His work explores the intersection of individuality and collectivity in different social contexts, shaped by perceptions of community life and culture. A 2014 graduate of Minzu University of China College of Dance, he later created the Revolution Game trilogy. In 2016, he was selected as the Chinese choreographer for the Artist Lab at the Julidans festival in Amsterdam while simultaneously presenting his dance/theatre works across different regions of China.

His latest work in the Revolution Game series, Minorities, premiered in Munich in May 2017 and was later invited to perform at Tanz in Heilbronn, Theater im Pumpenhaus in Münster, and the Ostwest Tanz Festival in Giessen. In August 2017, it had its Asian premiere at the Taipei Arts Festival. The piece continued touring, including a return to Germany for the Freiburg Theater Festival (2018), followed by a North American tour in 2019, with performances at Canadian Stage in Toronto and Stanford University in California.

In 2019, Yang Zhen created two new works: DELTA, a documentary theatre/dance piece exploring the Pearl River Delta (Guangzhou, Macao, and Hong Kong) with nine professional and non-professional performers, which premiered at DANCE2019 in Munich; and Destination, a four-dancer work addressing gender perspectives from both Eastern and Western viewpoints. Destination premiered in Münster in September 2019 and toured Europe in July 2021, including performances in Heerlen and Amsterdam (Julidans).

In 2021, Yang Zhen launched Jasmine Town, a dance-theatre project commissioned by the Yokohama Performing Arts Meeting (YPAM). It premiered in December 2022 at Kanagawa Art Theatre (KAAT) and brings together professional dancers and local Chinese and Asian community members to explore identity. Through this work, Yang creates a dynamic societal painting rooted in Chinese culture, challenging Western political narratives that render certain histories invisible. Jasmine Town is an evolving project, with upcoming presentations in Montreal (March 2025), Toronto and Vancouver (2026/2027), and a New York version at BAM's Next Wave Festival in Fall 2026.

In 2023, Yang premiered Hommage, a work for four male dancers, at the International Dance Center in Shanghai. It later toured to the Noorderzon Festival in Groningen and is set to be performed at Potsdamer Tanztage in 2026.

Most recently, in 2024, Yang Zhen was commissioned by the Guangdong Modern Dance Company to create Burning Marches, which premiered in China and is set to tour Europe in 2025.

About the company

Red Virgo is a dance and theatre company based in Beijing, China. Founded in 2017 by choreographer Yang Zhen, the company has been active since 2014. Red Virgo focuses on the relationship between Asian culture, aesthetics, and the Western context, using movement to explore themes of identity and society.

The company’s work blends dance, theatre, and documentary elements, often involving both professional and non-professional performers. Through its performances, Red Virgo examines cultural identity, migration, and the balance between tradition and modern influences.

With productions staged in Germany, the Netherlands, North America, and Japan, Red Virgo continues to present its work internationally, using dance to engage with social and cultural questions.

The company’s latest production, Burning Marches, premiered in China in 2024 and will embark on a European tour in 2025. This work continues Yang Zhen’s exploration of identity and political narratives, using dance as a means to challenge historical perspectives and societal structures.