Vela Xiyuan Zhu

Vela Xiyuan Zhu is a passionate artist, performer and writer. Her academic work focuses on Global Asian diasporic performance and Asian American theater, with broader interests in visual and popular culture, race, and translation. She is particularly interested in how performance functions as a space where identity, representation, and belonging are negotiated across transnational contexts.

In addition to her academic work, Vela is an actor, dancer and theater practitioner. Her creative work informs her scholarship, and she approaches performance as both an artistic and social process through which histories of migration and cultural memory are embodied and expressed.

Why did you chose Performance Studies?
I chose Performance Studies because I wanted a way to connect my experience as a performer with broader cultural and social questions. Coming from a background in theater and dance, I was curious about how performance exists beyond the stage - in media, popular culture, and everyday life. The interdisciplinary nature of the program has allowed me to explore connections between theater, visual culture, and Asian diasporic studies while continuing to develop my creative practice. Through the program, I’ve been able to approach performance both as an artist and as a researcher.