Marissa Wong
Artistic Director | Choreographer | Performer | Movement Facilitator
MARISSA WONG is a Chinese-Canadian dance artist who has the privilege to create, play and share on the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh, Səlílwətaɬ, and xwməθkwəyəm Nations, also named Vancouver, BC. She received her postgraduate studies through Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Ballet Austin. Her engagement with the Vancouver dance community has demonstrated her capability to produce, perform, and host works. Marissa is invested in continuous learning and growth, her work reflects her observations of the human experience. She strives to change the systemic structure in dance through the facilitation of inclusive and sustainable arts spaces.
Marissa is currently the Artistic Director The Falling Company, formerly the response. She was previously a member of TWObigsteps Collective, which she founded in 2015. Since then, she has choreographed works that have been presented internationally, including performance of the work Family Room at EDAM Fall Choreographic Series (2022); Departure at Nextfest (2022) and The Dance Centre (2021); Livespace at Dance in Vancouver (2019); Surrenderance at Dance in Vancouver (2017) and 12 Minutes Max Edition #41 (2017); Veils at TEDxSoma (San Francisco, 2019), CADA/West Fundraiser (2018), and Dance Café (2017). Marissa has also been hosted for choreographic residencies through Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Left of Main, New Works, Dance West Network, Banff Centre for the Arts, the Dance Centre’s DanceLab Program, MascallDance, Marta Marta Productions, Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre, SAFEhouse Arts, and DORSALEDanse. In addition to choreography, she has produced performances for her self-choreographed solo, Departure, and a co-hosted performance, SPLIT/BILL with WAREHAUS Dance. She was Assistant Stage Manager for the response.'s VAST (2018) and Workspace III (2017), and Project Manager for MascallDance’s BLOOM (2019). She acknowledges the continued support from Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, and City of Vancouver.
Marissa has been active in community engagement workshops including Sessions by TWObigsteps Collective, LINES Ballet Training Program, Gulf Island School of Performing Arts, and participation in the Youth Engagement Program presented by the Dance Centre (2018, 2019, 2022), a workshop series that shares dance with immigrant youth. She has created commissioned works for youth at Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet and Miscellaneous Productions and has educated youth dance programs at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Spiral Dance Centre.