Now he has made it big in his own right on the world stage with Taiwanese dance-pop superstar Jolin Tsai, regularly performing in front of more than 80,000 fans at some of the world’s biggest arenas as part of her blockbuster tour. Tsai’s fanbase spans tens of millions across China and Taiwan. The dancer and choreographer is on his third tour with her. “Really proud to be representing Christchurch on an international stage,” said Gopal. Dubbed the Madonna of Asia, Tsai’s elaborate, stadium-scale productions rival the spectacle of a Beyoncé or Madonna world tour. “Surreal is the only word that comes close,” said Gopal. “And then you’re performing, giving everything back to the 80,000 people in front of you. “I’ll carry those moments forever,” he said.
The 25 year-old said his first few months on tour were a genuine culture shock. “You’re performing in a language that isn’t your first, inside a culture with its own codes and its own way of defining professionalism, and you have to figure that out fast.” However, Gopal believes the creative perspective that comes from being an outsider, combined with his Kiwi ability to adapt and simply get on with the job, has helped him succeed. “You learn to watch and listen before you open your mouth. Trust gets built slowly through consistently showing up and doing the job well, not by being the loudest person in the room.” He said Google Translate became his best friend pretty quickly, along with picking up enough key words to help him navigate daily life. “I’ve genuinely come to love it. You find your rhythm, develop your routines and learn how to integrate. I really enjoy being here,” he said.
The stadium-size Pleasure Tour shows are a long way from the local dance competitions where the former Middleton Grange School and Swarm Studios student first made his name. Before breaking into the international scene, Gopal represented New Zealand at the where he helped his Christchurch Team Cozy place 10th in the world. “Canterbury shaped who I am,” he said. His career has also seen him performing alongside Six60 at Eden Park in 2021 to appearing on screen as a stunt extra in Apple TV’s Chief of War and as a dancer in Netflix’s One of Us Is Lying. When the final curtain falls on the tour, Gopal will return to his Los Angeles base and continue building his career in the US dance industry, while maintaining his strong connections across Asia.
He also plans to continue coaching elite hip-hop crews pursuing world championship titles. But one ambition remains close to home — one day, he would love to bring a world-class production to New Zealand. “To come back and perform for the people who’ve been watching this whole journey from the beginning, that would mean a lot.”
