[2] He is openly gay and married to Broadway dancer Ken Ard[3] Originally from San Francisco, Basil Twist is a third generation puppeteer.

He is founder and director of the Dream Music Puppetry Program at Here Arts Center in NYC, which supports and produces new puppet artists.

[5] Twist's "Dogugaeshi" features original shamisen compositions created and performed live by master musician Yumiko Tanaka.

He has collaborated with such artists as Joey Arias, Lee Breuer, Kate Bush, Pilobolus, Paula Vogel and Joe Goode.

[15] In 2022, it was announced that Twist was leading the puppetry in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of My Neighbor Totoro at the Barbican Theatre, London.