Martin Austin

Martin Austin is a PhD student at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies (CDTPS). Martin’s research explores the past and current state of ethics in Euro-American dance practice, applying the philosophical method of genealogy to ethnographic field work. He is Project Manager for "Category Is: A Study of Ballroom, Black Excellence, & Anti-Black Racism in Canada," researching house ballroom communities in Toronto and Montréal for the International Partnership of Queer Youth Resilience (INQYR). He is also Lead Administrative Coordinator of the Institute for Dance Studies, a resource network for dance-focused scholars hosted within CDTPS. Martin earned his MA from CDTPS in 2022, and his BFA in English and Dance through Fordham University’s partnership with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2020.

Outside of academia, Martin is an active dancer and writer. He is a frequent reviews and features contributor for Intermission Magazine, with additional publications in The Dance Current and smART Magazine. Martin’s print work includes reviews for The Stratford Festival, Toronto Dance Theatre, Canadian Stage, Crow’s Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, and TOLive, and interviews with Guillaume Côté and Andrew Tay. As a performer, Martin’s highlights include performing in the works of Alvin Ailey, Ohad Naharin, and Jose Limon, and in site-specific works for Ai Weiwei @Large, the Ali Forney Center, and Public Records Brooklyn. His choreography has been performed at New York’s Citigroup Theatre, and he has taught in the Ailey School’s Junior Division, as well as in afterschool programming for New York City public schools.

Recent Publications:

Austin, Martin. “The Sad Choreography of Systemic Misconduct, From Cause to Affect.” Performance Research, vol. 28, no. 5, 20 Apr. 2024, pp. 81–87. On Sadness, https://doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2023.2321072. 

A complete listing of Martin’s print publications can be found at his website, martinaustin.ca