ABOUT.
"Creative Powerhouse"
- Nothing Ever Happens In Brisbane, 2025
★★★★★
- Belle Steinhardt, Stagedoor Podcast
Buddy Malbasias is a Bukidnon-born Filipino Australian independent dance artist, choreographer and performer. Rooted in the Filipino diaspora, his practice exists at the intersection of performance, w_acking and multirdisciplinary collaboration, exploring the spaces between memory, migration and becoming.
Working across South East Asia and Australia, he creates movement-based works that learn from, collaborate with and carry forward Bukidnon and Mindanaon roots across theatre and contemporary art spaces. His work creates opportunities for cultural exchange while inviting audiences into conversations around belonging, queerness and the ways our bodies carry home.
“Bahala/o is a reminder of why independent dance theatre remains vital. It risks. It plays."
– Kitty Goodall, Stage Whispers
His debut independent work, Bahala/o, presented by Metro Arts, received critical acclaim, earning a Stage Buzzie Award for Best Sound Design and a five-star review from StageDoor Podcast. Working across artistic, cultural and community contexts, Buddy's practice centres meaningful exchange between Australia and the Philippines, with his leadership recognised by Balay Kasamtangan and the Brisbane Philippine Consulate.
Supported through prestigious national and international residencies, Buddy has worked with organisations including Ars Electronica (Austria), Stephanie Lake Company, Brisbane Festival, Metro Arts, Queensland Museum, Australasian Dance Collective, Studio1 and Rakarsa Foundation (Indonesia). His growing body of work — including Lato2x, Anino, Obserbahi and Project Bugas — reflects an ongoing commitment to creating contemporary performance that bridges cultural knowledge, community and experimentation.
His recent accolades include the 2026 Lord Mayor Creative Fellowship (QLD), Metro Arts Performance Program (QLD), Stage Buzz Award (QLD), Studio1 Creative Funded Residency (QLD), Studio1 x Catapult Dance East-Coast EXCHANGE (QLD/NSW), Backbone Funded Hub Residency (QLD), Blackbird Foundation Grant (AU/NZ), Festival University Scholarship (EU), Waacking Inferno X Club Concept Performance First Prize (VIC), AFTRS Scholarship (NSW) and Sharp Short Dance on Film Award (AUS).
"There is no doubt Buddy is one of the most exciting new choreographic voices in Queensland and we are deeply pleased to be able to present the world premiere of his NEW dance/theatre work, Bahala/o." -Benjamin Knapton, Metro Arts Season Launch 2025
“As a distinctive and rising choreographic voice, Buddy’s practice is refreshing and making a profound impact on the Queensland dance landscape. Bahala/o is a testament to his unique artistry—an ambitious and deeply considered work that demands to be seen.” -Lisa Wilson, Studio1 2025
A Queensland University of Technology Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) University Medalist (Summa Cum Laude) and scholarship recipient, Buddy is part of a new generation of artists shaping Queensland's contemporary performance landscape. Through choreographic and embodied practice, he creates bold performance experiences that invite audiences to question, connect and reconsider ideas of identity, diaspora and belonging.
