Capstone Dance Research Projects 2026 - Friday 6 Nov

VCA Dance presents capstone research projects from Master of Dance students.
View all performances in the program here.

Program

The Body Remembers What It Cannot Remember by Mei Ian (Carol) Lee

Wat a Wey Di Digits a Run Tapestry Fi Move Wi by Kialea-Nadine Williams

The Story of Time by Jiawen Feng

Duration

This event will run for approximately 100 minutes, across three performances. Any latecomers will be admitted at the discretion of Front of House.

Venue Information

This event takes place in Studio 221, which is located in the St Kilda Road Performing Arts Building. Please meet Front of House near the ramp on St Kilda Road to be admitted to the event space.

Image: The Body Remembers What It Cannot Remember by Mei Ian (Carol) Lee

Mei Ian (Carol) Lee

Our past leaves its traces through images, words, and sounds, returning to a body that has already changed. The body tries to come closer, to repeat, yet somewhere along the way, it resists and drifts away.

MEMORY, perhaps, emerges at the point where past and present fail to coincide. When the body cannot return to what it once was, what remains to be preserved?

Content Warnings
This performance contains the following staging and sensory elements:

• Non-traditional seating (cushions)

• Immersive staging

• Audience being approached

• Required audience movement

• Audience participation

• Audience participation using phone/personal device

Credits

Mei Ian (Carol) Lee, concept, choreography and performance
Ms Julie Minaai, supervisor
Dr Derrick Brown-Appenzeller, research supervision

Kialea-Nadine Williams

As a second-generation Jamaican and a first-generation Briton, I style my hair in traditional protective braids. My hair practice connects to the transatlantic slave trade, when braids mapped escape routes.

In this practice-based study, I explore the history of secret communication and symbolism of the African diasporic hair-braiding practice of cornrows, creating tapestry cartography through an autoethnographic choreographic process. The cartographic devices evoke a kinaesthetic response to memory, history, space, and time. I use these responses to embody and interpret the experiences.

This solo performance weaves contemporary dance, hair-o-graphy, and tapestry cartography that explores my dance lineage and heritage.

Credits

Kialea-Nadine Williams, choreography, set design and sound score

Dr Megan Beckwith,  choreographic supervision 

Dr Derrick Brown-Appenzeller, research supervision

Additional sound from AI-generated program ChatGPT

A special thank you to Kimball Wong and Dr Gareth Belling

Jiawen Feng

A seed takes root…
A memory resurfaces…
A body remembers…

The Story of Time explores the relationship between diasporic identity, embodied memory and the movement histories carried within a dancing body.

Drawing on Chinese mythology, family narratives and choreographic experimentation, the work unfolds through different experiences of time, bringing together fragments of stories, gestures, sensations and lived experiences.

As these fragments meet, overlap and transform through movement, they begin to reveal the many histories that coexist within a body…

Content Warnings
This performance contains the following staging and sensory elements:

• Audience members may be approached or directly addressed through eye contact, no verbal response or active participation is required

Credits

Jiawen Feng, choreography and performance

Julie Minaai, choreographic supervision

Dr Derrick Brown-Appenzeller, research supervision

Jiawen Feng, sound design

Xiaole Zhan, sound sample contribution

Special Thanks

Jiawen’s family members for sharing their stories and voices through interviews, and for contributing pipa recordings.

• Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to secure your seat. Due to high demand, if you have not arrived by the start of the event, your ticket may be released to any waiting patrons at the door. 

• Please stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms. Face masks are welcome in all settings for community and personal safety.    

• Admission to any of our concerts and events is strictly at the discretion of Front of House. We have zero tolerance for any disrespectful behaviour.  

PARKING 

The City of Melbourne has changed the parking restrictions around the Southbank Campus. Parking control hours are now expanded to 7am–10pm, seven days per week, and are capped at three hours. A $2-per-hour fee after 7pm is also now in place. There is no change to the $4-per-hour peak rate between 7am–7pm. Parking inspectors are regularly in the area fining drivers who overstay their meter, so we encourage everyone to be aware and avoid an expensive fine.  

ACCESSIBILITY 

We are committed to making our events accessible and will accommodate requirements wherever possible. All venues at the Southbank campus are wheelchair accessible. Please contact us at fineartsmusic-tickets@unimelb.edu.au if you have any questions. 

Read more about accessibility at our venues.