Two Blood
A ceremonial ritual at the intersection of the night sky.
A Tagalaka woman and Cantonese man embark on a forbidden love affair forged in the flames of a burning country. Centuries later, their remains are discovered in a forever embrace, setting into motion a sprawling exploration of belonging that pierces the core of our identity.
Created by visionary artists S. Shakthidharan, Daniel Riley and Jasmin Sheppard, who has woven her own family history through the work, Two Blood sees Australian Dance Theatre continue to break new ground with an interdisciplinary ceremony that blends film, music and movement across borders, cultures and time.
Revelling in our multiplicity, Two Blood is an intensely physical work that crashes through the narratives that have shaped our nation.
Read the program
2025 (World Premiere)
OzAsia Festival The Odeon, Norwood (SA): 28 October - 1 November
Co-Directors
Daniel Riley and S.Shakthidharan
Writer
S.Shakthidharan
Co-Choreographers
Daniel Riley and Jasmin Sheppard with ADT's Company Artists
Music
James Howard and Andy Qilong Chia of SAtheCollective
Lighting & Production Design:
Matthew Adey from House of Vnholy
AV Design
Elias Nohra
Costume Design
Zachary Lopez
Tagalaka & Chinese Story Advisor
Jasmin Sheppard
Cantonese Consultant
Nicky Tsz Tung Li
Artistic Associate:
Brianna Kell
Audio-visual
Audio-visual materials from 宿 (stay) provided care of SAtheCollective
Cast:
Joshua Doctor, Yilin Kong, Zachary Lopez, Karra Nam, Patrick O'Luanaigh and Zoe Wozniak
Two Blood is an Australian Dance Theatre production presented in association with Kurinji.
Co-commissioned by OzAsia Festival, Monash Performing Arts Centre and Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
Supported by The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, The Australian Government: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts and AGSA’s Tarnanthi: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art.
Two Blood is inspired by and draws from the production 宿 (stay) which premiered at Sydney Festival 2022 and was presented by Kurinji and SAtheCollective. We respect and acknowledge the many ancestral stories that have formed the foundation of the project.
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宿 (stay) was originally co-commissioned by Sydney Festival and OzAsia Festival.
The original team and commissioners behind 宿 (stay) have been integral to the development of Two Blood. They would like to thank the following for their contribution to the work: Creative Australia, Create NSW, The Australian Government’s International Cultural Diplomacy Arts Fund (ICDAF) and Singapore’s National Arts Council, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
