Nathan Albay Gacusan

INFO

Name	Nathan Gacusan (they/she/he)
Also known as	Bruja
Country of Birth	Aotearoa
Place of Residence	Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Artform	Dance, Performance art
Decades Active	2020s

ABOUT

Nathan Albay Gacusan — also known by their stage name, Bruja — is a non-binary queer interdisciplinary artist specialising in movement and dance. Raised in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, and returning to Aotearoa at the age of 12, their performance practice is deeply connected to their Filipino identity, drawing on their ancestors’ stories and practices as inspiration for their art. Bruja has practised a wide array of dance forms, including contemporary, voguing, waacking, ballet, and other street styles.

Gacusan credits three high school friends with inspiring their dance journey: Crystal Biano, who introduced them to Street Dance NZ and Krystelle Dane Buking and Viktor Eli-Nofoa whose skills as professional performers they admired. This led them to pursue a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts (contemporary dance) at Unitec, graduating in 2025. Reflecting on their influences, they shared with Satellites:

A lot of the dancers I look up to are contemporary artists deeply influenced by street dance. Before studying at Unitec, I took a three-year gap to refine my craft, performing with street dance communities and collectives like Saint Dance Academy, Nappyboyz and Prowl Productions. Those years taught me the value of discipline and the importance of family. In street dance, community comes first— yes, competition and the different styles of dance are what first come to mind, but you never know how much you need community until you experience the aroha that pours out within the Street Dance Communities.

Gacusan’s movement practice has been heavily inspired by the dance group Nappyboyz, which they joined in 2023. That same year, they represented Aotearoa as part of Nappyboyz at the Dancers Paradise competition in Cancún, Mexico. Competing internationally for the first time, they helped secure third place— a milestone for street dance history in Aotearoa. About performing with the dance group, Gacusan shares:

I consider myself a student of street style and voguing, and I wanted to showcase those movements with authenticity and respect. At the time, I felt anxious and uncertain, but Nappyboyz was an incredible support system—always full of love, spirit, and encouragement.

In 2022, Gacusan co-choreographed Ingat with Hazel Velasquez and Mel Quitaleg, debuting at Māngere Arts Centre. A love letter to Filipino culture, values, and relationships, the piece reinterpreted traditional dances like tinikling and pandanggo through contemporary movement. One aspect of their choreography was inspired by the curves and fluidity of baybayin, a pre-colonial Filipino writing system. Gacusan shares their experience working on Ingat:

We poured our hearts into this piece, and it remains one of my proudest works. Filipino culture is rich and beautiful, and collaborating with other Filipinos made it even more special. We understood the endurance it required and embraced the hard work.

As Bruja Givenchy, Gacusan is a proud member of the Kiki House of Givenchy, performing in events such as Cxnt Vol 1 which was choreographed by the House's founding mother, Logan 'Honey' Collis as well as New Zealand Fashion Week 2023. On their connection to ballroom, they shared:

Ballroom helped me see the endless possibilities of queerness. It made me realise how much I had been holding myself back to fit into cis-straight society. Embracing my true essence shaped not only my identity but also my artistic practice.

With his strong connections to both the street dance, contemporary and ballroom communities, Satellites asked Gacusan about his vision for the future:

Ultimately, I am excited to further navigate and explore myself as a channel. I think that is our role as artists. We are channels of our ancestors, of the now, and channels for new life to be born from. I want to build worlds. I want to make, make and make. I want to discover and continue achieving the dreams and wishes of my ancestors. I want to connect with others. I’m excited to collaborate more with Filipino creatives across different artistic mediums. Our culture carries such warmth and beauty, and I want to be able to tell more of our stories. Working and learning under a contemporary dance company setting would be fab as well.