A Collaborative Dance Performance

Soldier M.I.A. is a collaborative dance performance that attempts to re-imagine a Chinese queer feminist future, through the story of the female soldier, Hua Mulan (花木兰). According to the classic legend, Mulan is a young woman who disguises herself as a man, in order to join the army and go to battle in her father’s place. On the surface, the story seems to advocate woman empowerment and emancipation; however at its root, it actually instrumentalizes female representation and body for patriarchal and nationalist purposes.

Framed as a fictive search-and-rescue mission, Soldier M.I.A. plays with the idea that Mulan has somehow gone missing in action (M.I.A.). Four “experts” with diverse Chinese backgrounds – a dancer, a dramaturge, a sound artist and a costume artist – join forces to find Mulan, using a mix of literary references, video footage of Chinese opera and personal stories. Together with the help of the audience, they will try to reconstruct the story of Mulan through a queer and feminist lens. Their task is to bring forth a new Mulan-in-action (M.I.A.). What battle will Soldier M.I.A. join in today? Whose flag will she be flying… or burning?

Premiere: November 23rd 2023 | 8pm | English Theater Berlin
Further Performances: November 24th& 25th 2023 | 8pm

Artistic Direction & Choreography: Ming Poon Dance
Performance: Lee Mun Wai
Dramaturgy & Performance: Dandan Liu
Sound Design & Performance: Sum-Sum Shen
Costume Design & Performance: Tin Wang Costume
Costume Assistant: Elin Laut
Light Design: Hanna Kritten Tangsoo
Stage Design: Jennis Li
Video Design: Harshini J. Karunaratne
Graphic Design: Duy Hung Kieu
Movement Coach: Gizem Aksu
Technical Direction: Klaus Altenmüller
Video Documentation: Isabelle Schmitt
Photo Documentation: Olivia Kwok
Production Management Assistance: Nur Bildik
Production Management: MIFRUSH Production (Micaela Trigo & Urszula Heuwinkel)
Presse & Public Relations: PocketDesign

Press Release:
Ein vielköpfiges Märchen (tanzschreiber, David Pallant)
„Soldier M.I.A.“ – Legende von Mulan aufgequeert (SIEGESSÄULE, Marlon Jungjohann)

Funded by  Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.