ABOUT.
Bold, fluid and deeply personal, Buddy’s artistry continually redefines his creative boundaries, offering dynamic and introspective reflections on identity and belonging.
Buddy Malbasias is a Filipino Australian (Bukidnon-born) independent artist-researcher, director, choreographer and performer. With a rich movement history (from award-winning hip-hop crews, street style to formalised dance education, improvisation, theatre), his practice now exists at the intersection of contemporary performance, waacking and interdisciplinary experimentation.
Rooted in the Filipino diaspora, Buddy’s practice navigates cultural hybridity, queer identity and imaginative world-building to reimagine the immigrant Filipino body in performance. Working across dance, theatre and design, his shapeshifting works blend movement, text, and found objects to create thought-provoking experiences—part self-exploration, part sociocultural reflection. His ongoing inquiry into Kapwa (shared self) invites audiences to engage with notions of belonging, heritage and embodied memory.
A University Medalist (Summa cum laude) and scholarship recipient, Buddy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance Min.Dance Performance) from QUT. His choreographic work spans live performance (dance theatre, installations) and digital media (dance on film, multimedia), with notable works including Lato2x (Artist-in-Residence, uNCOILEd eXposed), Obserbahi:Observe (Queensland Museum Partnership), erOplanO (Artist-in-Residence, APAC), 610X (Artist-in-Residence, QACI), Z-A (Graduate Project) and Anino (Award-Winning Dance on Film).
Bahala/o is Buddy’s debut independent dance-theatre work—a bold collaboration that amplifies the Filipino-Australian voice and explores the layered experience of living between cultures. Selected from over 60 national applications, Bahala/o was one of only three works unanimously chosen for Metro Arts’ 2025 program, reflecting growing recognition of Buddy’s distinct voice in contemporary performance. The work brings together a dynamic team of emerging and established artists, including ongoing collaborations with Berlin-based composer ELLLL (Ellen King) and Manila-based contemporary artist Buboy Raquitico.
Images & Video by Georgia Haupt
His recent accolades include the Metro Arts Performance Program (QLD), Studio1 x Catapult Dance East-Coast EXCHANGE (QLD/NSW), Backbone Funded Hub Residency (QLD), Studio1 Creative Funded 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 (AU). In 2022, he was also crowned Australian Waacktournament Brisbane Waacking Champion and national runner-up.
Images by Retrograde Films
"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
Image by Aeron Maevin
Buddy's artistry has been showcased in esteemed venues like the Queensland Museum and internationally through an immersive residency at Ars Electronica in Austria. Supported by funded national and international residencies, Buddy has become an exciting and dynamic voice in QLD’s artistic landscape having worked with leading global voices such as Studio1, QLD Museum, Stephanie Lake Co., Catapult Dance, Blackbird Foundation and Johannes Kepler University. Through choreographic and embodied methodologies, Buddy crafts performance ecologies that disrupt conventional modes of spectatorship and invite critical reflection to provoke, connect and resonate.
Notable Companies
