Navigating the Contemporary Art World, an interview with Vienna Wong. By Larissa Read

Photo of Vienna in “(un)rooted“ by Kestrel Paton

Sitting down to talk to Vienna about life, art, her practice as a dance artist and how they correlate with one another. This is what she had to say about the intersection of these things and what it feels like to be a dance artist and student in the present art era.

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Vienna Wong, I’m a dance artist, creator/choreographer and performer. I am also in my 4th year studying dance at Simon Fraser University, School for the Contemporary Arts, and I work at the front desk at The Dance Centre as a “venue services representative.”

What’s your scariest experience?

Still haunts me to this day, I was little and I was coming out of the elevator and my pinky got caught. My mom was always like, “Aww no the elevators know (when something is in the way of the door),” but my pinky just got left behind. The doors closed on it and I started screaming and crying and my mom was like, “Oh who’s that person?” but it was me. Now it’s a little smaller and shorter and has less bone. Why is that my scariest experience? The scariest thing about it is because I’m still scared of elevators now, like I’m scared of getting trapped in elevator doors.

What is your background?

(In art) I started dancing in a studio when I was about eleven, continued through to now, so that’s 11 years. I got into dancing because my mom really wanted me to stop dancing around the house, I just got a little crazy.

What art do you most identify with?

I would say I identify with dance because it allows for free creative expression. It also is a kind of escape, to get out of your head and just move through impulse.

 Rehearsal photo from “Almost Ghost” choreographed by Anya Saugstad

How has your practice changed over time?

I think after entering this program at SFU, after a couple years, I feel like I’ve started figuring out who I am as an artist, and what I can offer as an individual. Figuring out what I love to do.

What themes do you pursue?

I feel like I’m still trying to figure it out. Usually it is what I feel inspired by at that point in time but I think it’s a continuous discovery of new and changing interests. Mostly I think the theme I am trying to figure out is how to be more individual and what I have to offer.

What food, drink or song inspires you?

I don’t think food or drinks really inspire me, I’d say songs, music definitely does. I don’t know if I could pick a song.

How about a genre?

I really like Indie music… Oh I could pick a song, Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine.

Name something you don’t love and why?

I don’t love how my body gets sore. It’s just harder to work through in technique class or even performing. Mostly injuries, in the dance practice it’s hard to not get injured, you’ll get injured in some sort of way but it’s finding a way of navigating through that pain and working around it that is hard.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

I think just to go for it, not think too much about it, and not care what anyone else would think, which I think is still hard for me to do.

Why art?

Art because you can find it in anything and because there’s so much to be inspired by. Art is like a release and it’s a form of expression that is sometimes difficult to put into words..