We were lucky to catch up with Jiali Wang recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jiali, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I came to the US to study my master’s degree, as one of my life purposes, I made my dream comes true and successfully graduated in 2017 with a master’s degree (MFA) in Modern Dance. Actually, I was thinking about going back to China after finishing my 3 years graduates’ school, however, life keeps giving me new opportunities and challenges that guide me to see more and more potentials in my dance world. Getting jobs and having my 30’s in the big apple, New York City, is absolutely a big chapter in my life, since then, from an international student, I become an immigrant dance artist.
As an immigrant artist, I always have new purposes. I believe one day when I even settle down, I will still have lots of things to do for the dance industry in the US. During the 6 years working in the city, I established my own dance project, 7Midnights Physical Research. Performing shows inside and outside of the city. Working for nonprofit dance organizations. Teaching dance for multiple arts and education programs, especially during COVID-19. And now, I enrolled in college again to recharge myself for new future goal facing different directions for my dance career. Thanks to all 7MPR Fifth Midnight Artists.
MY purposes are naturally guiding me when I’m running forward on the pathway of my dance life, I dance for freedom, dance to prove myself for my visa. Also, the way of dance is a healing and growing process when encountering huge challenges. It helps me to continue to work for the dance filed with belief. Therefore, all my purposes no matter for dance or for my immigration are all calling me right there. I don’t even need to look for them, they just need me to be there, and get ready!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a Chinese dancer who was born in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in the Southwest China, my early dance education and Chinese dance training started at Sichuan Dance School and after graduating, I danced for Sichuan Song and Dance Theatre Company. In my 20’s, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Dance Choreography at Beijing Dance Academy and danced with Tao Dance Theater for their “Now Dance” project. Since then, I officially transited from a traditional dancer to a modern/contemporary dancer and choreographer. Of course, at that time, I never thought I would be able to come to the US until SUNY the College at Brockport accepted me in 2014. Then, my American dance journey has been written as a new chapter of my dance life by obtaining my MFA degree in Modern Dance at SUNY Brockport, and working in the well-known Big Apple, New York City, since 2017.
I appreciate my experiences of studying and working in America, that makes me find a sort of perfect balance of myself as an immigrant dance artist with traditional dance background, unique contemporary dance concept and movement creating skill, as well as my performing experiences from the eastern and the western cultures. I’m naturally called by arts and absorb things with my “interesting” perception. I was inspired by my academic study when I received the tuition scholarship from American Dance Festival (ADF) in 2016. I attended ADF and did my thesis research during the six weeks of dancing and studying experience at Duke University. A lot of inspiration through things that happened and made my mind reopened to perceive and receive brand-new concept. I tremendously cherish this experience that allows me to understand the true meaning of dance, and how our physical movement carries out the voice of human and build a deeper connection to human’s inner world, expressing the eagerness of justice and rights. What the mission of a dance artist is has become one of the things I started thinking since the six-week experience. Then, this experience become a part of my MFA thesis and a part of my dance life, as I funded my dance project, 7Midnights Physical Research, a creative project started planning in 2018 and began the first 7 performances in 2019. Now, my dance life seems a reflection of my study and thesis research from ADF, which always reminds me that something important more than just the movement styles and aesthetics. By reviewing the discussion from my ADF instructor, Jesse Zaritt, about the 7 social issues in our society and the definition of the relationship between dance and society, what are we dancing for? what does dance mean? There is not just the movement we can do, but more than that level. Human perception as the top theory in dance/movement art was highlighted by my dear ADF choreographer, Vanessa Voskuil, when sharing her choreographer’s thoughts with me. I still remember those pictures of that discussion class with Jesse, and the casual conversation with Vanessa. Another picture of my ADF experience was the Solidarity Walking on the campus of Duke University, with all lovely and peaceful “candle holders” (students, faculties, artists) and the following Solidarity Party at that night. All these pictures still inspire me when the world needs a special time to have people together as a solidarity moment for human justice and love, that’s why I hosted 7MPR Solidarity Events in the Summer for special time and needs responded to the society and humanity. I’m lucky to meet my great partnership, Arts on Site, a creative dance organization and community producing high quality shows and supporting artists. Saint Marks Place, has been a very active location with its unique cultural diversity on the lower East Manhattan. It is like my second home where I started 7MPR performance events since 2019, and slightly grow this project (7MPR) by continuously developing the main program, Themed Dance Theater-Midnights Performance Series. Now, we are in the season3 from 2022 to 2024 taking a slower pace while reflecting and reviewing the special COVID virtual performance years 2020-2021, and the first intensive 7 shows in 2019. Indeed, a deeper thinking of this dance project is going on in my mind, even if it is hard for me as an immigrant dance artist in the US, I still would love to try to build this project into an LLC for the next step. Of course, the issues of visa, finance, life are all encountering me right now. My purpose is there, and needs time, opportunities, and supports.
On the other side, as a traditional Chinese dance artist, I worked for a Chinese cultural center for almost 6 years. Performing, teaching, leading and directing projects, coordinating shows, handling AIE school shows in and outside the city, I was a “giant” who was even in charge of audition and rehearsal director things, plus the costume management stuffs. Interesting life right! That’s an immigrant dance artist’s life! Throughout those years of my hard working in this cultural organization, finally I left them this year and stepped into a new page of my dance life in America. By working for different dance companies with dance artists and people who have great energy and respect my artistry, I noticed who are my fellow artists and mentors. Where I should stay. In the meantime, I never stop the belief of my tradition as a Chinese dance artist. I need opportunities for my own and really hope to meet more great fellow immigrant dance artists from all parts of the world. This is also me, an immigrant dance artist! Chinese culture raises me up and root the tradition in my body and spirit. My culture dance art always brings me back to my root, the culture of China.
My immigrant artist life is a true story, as I have seen and experienced many things through the past 5-6 years. I saw very dark human side from some of “fellow” immigrants at my previous workplace, and how they competed for their “better lives” by taking so much benefit. The dark secrets are always hidden behind those people and their group, and I was one of the victims when seeing the edge of the cliff. Finally, I cracked open that “cocoon,” flew away from danger, from that small, squeezed, and twisted tiny “cultural center” where you see all Chinese immigrant artists are smiling on their faces but hiding “small needles” in their hands crossed behind their backs. Indeed, there were many great immigrant artists from China, but things have been changed throughout the time. I feel sad and want to bury these stories under the soil, but somehow, I’m talking about this here in this article. By the end of 2022, when things exposed as I saw and found and realized, the contradictions have been out of control at that time, I decided to gradually leave since then. My story can be written in a book, and one of the chapters is called “Immigrant Artists Matter” telling these immigrant stories from my real experiences. By the end of 2022, I decided to host 7MPR’s Fifth Midnight Performance as a themed solidarity event after the first solidarity performance, 7MPR Seventh Midnight – Stop Asian Hate and Any Hate, in 2021. And this time I entitled this Fifth Midnight Performance with a highlighted theme related to my real story, “Immigrant Artists Matter.” The gear of my new life transition started from November 2022 and continues this strong tornado in 2023 which brings me more opportunities in my American dance life. I am glad that I had my voice out and loud as an immigrant dance artist and getting supports from people and my new dance companies with the power of love, positive energy, organic environment, moral justice, and fair treatments. In March, I changed the Fifth Midnight performance date from April to July for the summertime of 2023 in order to align with my memory and experience of the Solidarity Walking I did at America Dance Festival in 2016. To some point, 7MPR’s Summer Solidarity Event has shown its real and special meaning. And this time it was for immigrant dance artists who are working hard and overcoming life challenges in the US. I even feel I do need to continuously bring more solidarity events for immigrant artists who are really contributing their arts and talents in America.
I was in the shadow of the moon last year, sometimes I was thinking about stopping my dance project 7MPR, stopping everything and just go back to my country, as my life encountered so much unbelievable challenges in the past years in the city, and even made me feel spiritually attacked by things and people. This year (2023), I successfully hosted the Fifth Midnight Performance-Immigrant Artists Matter on July 16, as our second Summer Solidarity Event. Now I’m planning the next two midnight performance series, which might take place in 2024. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m a lucky person in the dance world, especially in the immigrant’s world, as I’m still suffering from the reality, my visa, my future, my life, my finance, my family goal…… I’m kind of tired and have been missing my family in China, but what can I do? I changed my job, my life goal, and setting up new achievements for my future. When looking forward, I feel blessed and satisfied to what I have had so far, and still have that belief in my life. By bringing “Immigrant Artists Matter” as the theme of 7MPR’s Fifth Midnight Performance in 2023, I just want to internally or indirectly introduce myself again. My name is Immigrant!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There are three important words that I survive myself from some incidents, inner attacks and life challenges, especially when I worked at my previous workplace and encountered some fellow immigrant dance people who negatively took advantage of me and framed me behind my back in the past 5-6years:
Creativity -keeping and improving what you naturally have as a creative person, and creating opportunities, miracle, possibilities for your better life. Never stop improving your artistry and knowledges even when you are in a life crisis and tortured by tons of evil things.
Perception -always noticing what situation you are in, especially when feeling things from those negative people in your life. Always use your perception to avoid possible issues and negative people/competition, so being aware of those bad situation from those “evil energy” as they do everything to destroy others for benefits and purposes. Perceiving bad things and evil energy is an important ability and skill to protect yourself from any dangerous “black hole” situation.
Diversity -learning at less two languages and two extra skills in your life. For example, I continue my dance career in the dance filed, meanwhile, getting other opportunities from the other industries, like Administration, Tourism, Health Care, Education……, in this way, you can survive yourself before being trapped in any dead-end and don’t know where to go. (plus the two: Flexibility, Tolerance)
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
The two biggest challenges are, Visa challenge and financial challenge to immigrant dance artists. As an immigrant dance artist and a hard worker in the US, I do need better life balance, better finance, better work environment and life condition, of course, always need good people around.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.7mpr.com
- Instagram: @7mpr_themeddancetheater
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7mprthemeddancetheater/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/TbMyFlYK5ds
Image Credits
7MPR Fifth Midnight Performance -Immigrant Artists Matter, Summer Solidarity Event 7/16/2023 Photographer: Renfang Ke Choreographers: Sunhi Willa Keller Hudson Ballet Theatre ZCO Dance Project Navatman Dance Ayana Arts Emily Van Duinen and Sally Butin Solo and Headshot Photographers: Christine Abbate Nir Arieli Deb Fong
