We were lucky to catch up with Mia J. Chong recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mia J., so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
As a Chinese American queer woman and choreographer, I have learned to reframe what it means to be the only one in the room that looks like me. While I once saw being different as a deficit, I now see it as the honor of being absolutely singular. Yes, it can be uncomfortable, frustrating, and difficult at times, but moving through these challenges with empathy and courage can sometimes help you find empowerment. I know it has also helped me appreciate community.
I am grateful that the dance communities I am a part of are extremely diverse and that I am constantly surrounded by unique individuals who will uplift, celebrate, and challenge me. And still, I feel that our dance world and larger arts industries have quite a lot of work to do. As a queer person and woman of color, it has always felt natural for me to see the arts as a boundless place for all to explore. As much as I’ve felt othered for my identity, I’ve always seen artists as some related form of othered people in society – perhaps one of the reasons I felt so at home becoming an artist. And yet, we still experience and see division, exclusion, and clinging to old ideas and ways in our industry and beyond. So now, one of the many questions I’d like to explore through my life in the arts is, “How can we harness the power of otherness and create art of unprecedented quality?” This is one of the questions that led me to create my dance company, EIGHT/MOVES.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Mia J. Chong, and I choreograph dances, direct productions, and produce community events in the Bay Area. Growing up in San Francisco, I had the privilege of experiencing a diverse arts and culture ecosystem that led me to my chosen creative medium of movement. At a young age, I discovered a special form of self-expression and a sense of belonging through dance. This passion took me on a whirlwind journey – I received scholarships to train at dance institutions across the country, became a professional dancer, and won a Princess Grace Award during my time as a dancer for ODC/Dance. This path allowed me to reach arts communities around the world, and I was able to experience the true impact the arts could have on audiences from a variety of backgrounds. As I began developing my choreographic voice and leadership vision, I started to view dance as something more than the beautiful craft I first fell in love with – I started to see it as a powerful tool for connectivity, understanding, and change. As a choreographer, I have been able to express my experiences through movement while also creating spaces for conversations of identity, equity, representation, and more through my works and processes.
As I finish my Master of Science in Arts Administration and Cultural Entrepreneurship at Northeastern University, I am inspired to continue finding new ways to spark meaningful conversations, encourage reflection, and touch new audiences through dance and choreography. In 2023, I started to put the pieces together to create EIGHT/MOVES, a new contemporary repertory dance company based in San Francisco. Named after the lucky Chinese number 8, EIGHT/MOVES brings artists, audiences, and communities together to empower marginalized voices, bridge gaps between communities, and utilize the universal language of dance to generate social and cultural change. The company reimagines unity, understanding, and possibilities for AAPI, BIPOC, and other historically disempowered artists. EIGHT/MOVES’ repertory structure utilizes inventive collaborations to connect artists, audiences, and communities of different cultures, generations, and backgrounds, putting them in kind, critical conversation with one another through dance.
Soon, we will officially launch our company with the release of a dance film directed by renowned photography and film artist RJ Muna. The film will feature my latest choreography and incredible performances by four phenomenal EIGHT/MOVES dancers – Crystaldawn Bell, Cora Cliburn, Colin Frederick, and Lani Yamanaka. Follow us on Instagram at @eightmoves to be the first to see it!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I would say that trust, openness, and determination have been some of the most impactful qualities I’ve embraced on my journey. Trusting myself, time, and the universe has helped me find moments to be able to enjoy my work and really be present when it matters. Openness has helped me collaborate more freely, imagine expansively, and find joy in messing up. Determination has helped me find new ways to bring my ideas to life, work through challenges, and surprise myself. If I could give any advice to my past self or someone early in their journey, I’d probably say, “Focus on your purpose. It will fire you up when you’re burnt out, inspire you constantly every day, and ground you when you’re at your highest.”
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
While founding EIGHT/MOVES has been an inspiring and invigorating process for me, launching a new venture isn’t easy. When I created the company, I knew we would be entering a space where opportunities, resources, and funding were limited. But I still felt called to create EIGHT/MOVES because I wanted to contribute something of my own to the Bay Area, the very community that has constantly and generously given art, time, joy, and wisdom to me. So, while we face the obstacle of being a new company in a competitive and underfunded space, I still have hope! We have yet to launch officially, and community members have already expressed encouragement, support, and belief in our ideas – this support means so much to me. With the upcoming launch of EIGHT/MOVES and our dance film, we are also launching our online fundraiser for our live shows in August. In the meantime, you can make a tax-deductible donation to EIGHT/MOVES’ General Support Fund today and become part of our history by visiting fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/eight-moves. Together, I think we can create something truly special. Stay tuned for more at eightmoves.org. Thank you, Bold Journey!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eightmoves.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightmoves
- Other: My social media: website https://www.miajchong.com/instagram – https://www.instagram.com/miajchong/
Image Credits
- https://www.miajchong.com/ instagram –
Photos by RJ Muna, Natalia Perez and Derrick Scocchera. Pictured artists include Crystaldawn Bell, Emily Hansel, Van-Anh Vo, and the artists of Post:ballet.
