Joseph Victor Gonzales

Joseph Victor Gonzales
Joseph Victor Gonzales in 2012
Born
Joseph Victor Gonzales

(1960-06-22) 22 June 1960
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer, teacher

Joseph Victor Gonzales (born 22 June 1960) is a Malaysian choreographer, known professionally as Joseph Gonzales.[1]

He is the brother-in-law of former Olympic field hockey player Datuk Arumugam Sabapathy and retired Malaysian ambassador Dato’ Ramanathan Vengadesan. He is also the uncle of writer and journalist Martin Vengadesan.[2]

Dancing and teaching activities

Gonzales began dancing as a student. From 1981 to 1984, he was part of the choreographic ensemble Kesuma at the University of Malaya and the Frances Ballet Academy.[3] From 1984 to 1986, he danced with the Federal Academy of Ballet.[3] From 1992 to 1994, he taught ballet, modern dance, tap, and jazz dance at the Federal Academy of Ballet.[4]

He also served as Assistant Artistic Director to Lee Lee Lan for the Kuala Lumpur Dance Theatre.[5] In 1994, he began working as a lecturer at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA, formerly known as the National Arts Academy), becoming Dean of the Faculty of Dance in 1998, a position he held until 2015.[6]

He served as the president of My Dance Alliance (1999 –2001), co-chairman of the Asian Dance Committee in Seoul, South Korea (2011–2017), and adjudicator for the Singapore Youth Festival (2008-present) and Sprouts, a young choreographers’ platform in Singapore. He also held the role of vice-president of South East Asia World Dance Alliance (2011–2016).[7]

At ASWARA, Gonzales developed a curriculum that included Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Western dance forms. According to [source], this approach aimed to reflect Malaysia's diverse cultural heritage and equip students with broad technical proficiency.[8]

He contributed to the development of performance standards, with students performing a range of styles from classical ballet to Bharatanatyam. From 2000 to 2015, he oversaw the development of some Malay dance forms, incorporating them into the curriculum or presenting them as part of public performances. These dances include Tari Inai, Terinai, Joget Gamelan, and Zapin. This work has continued through the ASK Dance Company, which was established in 2011.[9]

In 2016, he was appointed as a professor and head of Academic Studies/MFA Program Leader in Dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.[10]

Works

At ASWARA, he produced productions featuring traditional dance and multicultural identity, such as Main Zapin, Tapestry, Asyik, Crossing Borders in Bharatanatyam, and Hang Li Po. He was also the artistic director of the international Tari series, a festival of international universities of the arts from 1998–2014. According to,[11] his credo is: "Dance and you will enjoy freedom."

Participants of the choreographic composition "Awas" (2003). Director Joseph Gonzalez

Other productions included: P. Ramlee, Musical (2007) at the Palace of Culture in Kuala Lumpur, Hamlet (2007), Passion (2007) at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, Rhythms in Bronze (2011),[12] The Two (2013), Rise (2013) at the Penang Centre for the Performing Arts, Enter/Exit (2014), Suara (2011), The Last Tea Party (2013) for ASWARA, Becoming King... The Pakyung Revisited (2014 and 2015), and Seru (2016).

In 2011, he established ASK Dance Company, a professional dance company that presents performances in Malaysia and at international festivals.[13]

Awards

  • "Best production of the year" (Society of Art Lovers "Kaki Seni", 2003, 2008)
  • "Cross-cultural Champion of the Arts" (Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, 2007)
  • "Outstanding contribution to the development of dance" (Academy Kshetra, 2010)
  • "Outstanding contribution to the development of dance" (Rotary Club, 2011)
  • "Outstanding Service" (National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage, 2011)
  • "Best Choreographer of the Year" (2016)
  • "Game-changer of the Year" (Kakiseni, 2019)
  • "Lifetime Achievement in the Arts" - Sugam Arts and Heritage Foundation, 2024.

Publications

  • Forging Traditional Dance in Malaysia[14]
  • Makyung in Contemporary Malaysia: Strategies for Preservation and Proliferation[15]
  • Dancing the Malaysian[16]
  • Dancing Mosaic: Issues On Dance Hybridity[17]
  • South East Asia Report[18]
  • Malaysian Dancescapes[19]
  • Koreografi Kontemporari Malaysia[20]

References

  1. ^ Victor Pogadaev. Malaysia. Dances. - The Great Russian Encyclopedia. Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2011, vol. 18, p. 623 (in Russian)
  2. ^ Nadia, Alena (2022-06-25). "Memoirs of a Malaysian diplomat". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  3. ^ a b "/Dance_Companies/Contemporary/ASK_Dance_Co_/Joseph_Gonzales/joseph_gonzales.htm". Archived from the original on 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  4. ^ "Joseph Gonzales on the ins and outs of his career, his latest book and the Malaysian dance scene". www.optionstheedge.com. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  5. ^ Devan, Subhadra (2016-09-04). "A teacher's grace | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  6. ^ "Taylor's University students receive boost in music and dance". thesun.my. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  7. ^ Sathiabalan, Indra (2022-09-25). "Joseph Gonzales lives for dance no matter where he is". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  8. ^ VENGADESAN, MARTIN. "Getting schooled on the arts". The Star. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  9. ^ "Prof. Dr. Joseph Gonzales".
  10. ^ PROF GONZALES, JOSEPH Head of Academic Studies in Dance and MFA Program Leader (Dance) https://www.hkapa.edu/faculty/gonzales-joseph/ Archived 2021-01-23 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Syabas kepada "Awas". - Victor A. Pogadaev. Malaysia Cintaku yang Pertama. Kuala Lumpur: DBP, 2010, p. 189-190
  12. ^ Gonzales, Joseph. - in: Pogadaev, V. Malay World (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore). Lingvostranovedchesky Dictionary. M.: "Vostochnaya Kniga", 2012, p. 211
  13. ^ Sathiabalan, Indra (2022-09-25). "Joseph Gonzales lives for dance no matter where he is". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  14. ^ Gonzales, Joseph; Syafiq, Imran. Forging Traditional Dance in Malaysia. Culture, Institutions and Space in Policy and Practice: Inquires into Cultural Development in Hong Kong and Beyond: Cultural Management Series. doi:10.54165/9789887928522. ISBN 978-988-79285-1-5. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  15. ^ Gonzales, Joseph. Makyung in Contemporary Malaysia: Strategies for Preservation and Proliferation. Taylor & Francis Online. doi:10.1080/15290824.2019.1683564. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  16. ^ Gonzales, Joseph (2011). Dancing the Malaysian. AbeBooks: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre. ISBN 9789675832345. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  17. ^ Gonzales, Joseph (2007). Dancing Mosaic: Issues On Dance Hybridity. Penang Bookshelf: Da Capo Press. ISBN 9789670380179. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  18. ^ Gonzales, Joseph (June 2014). "South Asia Report". Asia Pacific Channels. Aus Dance. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  19. ^ Gonzales, Joseph (2013). Malaysian Dancescapes. Google Books: ASWARA Malaysia. ISBN 978-9832538202. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  20. ^ Gonzales, Joseph (2019). Koreografi Kontemporari Malaysia. Google Books: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre. ISBN 9789672165538. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
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