If you’ve ever seen Tracey Wong dance in a cypher, the very first thing you might discover is her smile. The subsequent factor you see could also be a mix: her freedom, her sense of play, her rhythm and circulate, or her gaze. She sees you seeing her, and by some means earlier than you realize it, you’re within the heart of the cypher constructing off of her vitality. Wong the dancer and performer just isn’t that dissimilar from Wong the instructor, the organizer, or the group member. In every house, there’s by no means pretense — she simply desires you within the room. While she has spent the final decade mastering her craft, ranging from courses in faculty, she has additionally steadily constructed a real group pushed by each her love of dance and her devotion to Seattle, the place she was born and raised. She’s been a part of teams like Chinatown After Hours and The Purple Lemonade, began occasions like an all-women dance battle and occasion Queen of the Hill or Seattle’s largest Waacking battle Punk N Funk, and established the group Malicious Vixens.
Having began on the University of Washington across the identical time as Wong, it’s been outstanding to observe her development from each close to and much. I’ve danced alongside her at a contemporary dance course, taken courses she’s taught, sat entrance row at avenue kinds battles she’s hosted, and screamed on the high of my lungs cheering her on when she “walked” (aka competed) at a Vogue ball. The most outstanding, it appears, is witnessing the real pleasure she feels for the artwork type. Sticking with dance as a observe and surviving dance as an business can break even the strongest fondness for the artwork. Yet Wong has turn out to be proficient within the integrity of assorted dance varieties, whether or not that’s the grounded footwork of House, the witty dramatics of Waacking, or the clever sexuality of Vogue Femme — all rooted in her eager musicality.
After a 12 months of largely watching her endeavors through my cellphone display screen, it feels very rewarding to have the ability to speak to Wong through Zoom to speak a bit bit extra about her dance journey over the previous decade.
This dialog has been edited for size and readability.
Imana Gunawan: What drew you to exploring dance and to begin dancing?
Tracey Wong: I imply, I believe I’ve all the time beloved dancing. If I consider like, the basis of how I lived life … my mother mentioned that I used to be all the time simply dancing, singing, and really free in that manner. I believe the basis motive of why I’ve all the time danced and nonetheless proceed to bounce is due to the liberty that it gave me and the way liberating that observe is … it feels liberating to today. And I proceed diving deeper into it, as a result of I discovered increasingly about myself, how I take into consideration myself, how I really feel, to course of feelings.
IG: And how did you come to discover all these totally different dance kinds? I do know that you simply additionally observe some martial arts as effectively.
TW: I imply, I’ve all the time simply beloved grooving and stuff like that. But after I first took courses, that was after I was in faculty, and I simply took the category at Westlake [Dance Center], it was a hip hop choreography class and it was simply so enjoyable. I believe what made it actually enjoyable was that I used to be in a big-ass room with those that additionally beloved dancing, and we’re shifting to the identical music doing the identical factor. That felt so good in my soul. After that, I simply stored saying sure to quite a lot of issues that felt good in my coronary heart, have it’s becoming a member of crews or corporations and dancing with them and simply attempting issues out being like, okay, let me check out this contemporary class at [University of Washington], let me check out this jazz class. Just attempting out various things and discovering love for each single type that I obtained to expertise. After exploring a lot, I felt actually drawn towards Voguing, particularly Vogue Femme, and Waacking. …. I believe what drew me towards waacking particularly was the liberation that you simply really feel while you dance, because the dance type is about liberating your self in a society that doesn’t settle for you for who you might be. That’s scared to simply accept you for the magic that you’re. It was created by the Black and Latinx homosexual group and the way throughout [the 1970s], it was not okay to be homosexual. But the OGs have been like, fuck it, I’m simply gonna shine, I’m simply gonna be my full self. I’m going to be hella homosexual, I’m going to be attractive, I’m going to be fierce, I’m going to mess around, I’m simply going to be free. And I believe that the guts behind all of it stored me diving deeper into Waacking. With Vogue Femme, I believe the explanations are comparable — I really feel like being an Asian lady, there’s quite a lot of stigma round even speaking about intercourse with our communities. So having the ability to embrace my physique and actually, actually embody my confidence and love and groundedness in myself and my sensuality, it feels so empowering for me, and that’s why I proceed to Vogue. I do need to say that I haven’t been dancing as a lot throughout quarantine although, to be very actual, however an enormous facet of that is group as effectively. [For] folks to collectively be free, that’s hella highly effective. That’s one thing that I really feel like is lacking [in quarantine].
IG: For certain, it’s onerous to duplicate that feeling by means of a display screen.
TW: With Kung Fu, I began a number of years in the past. And I believe a motive for that’s my grandpa did Kung Fu beforehand, particularly Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. I needed to attach with my ancestors and my roots and to attach with my grandpa extra, so I began that. It’s been quite a lot of uncovering of who I’m and my identification. It looks like I’m embracing the entire intersectionalities, be it from Kung Fu or collaborating in dances from the Black and Latinx communities in America. I really like practising the entire dance varieties. And not similar to avenue dances or membership dances, however I simply love having the ability to transfer and really feel the shape and really feel the intention behind it, really feel the essence behind it, and the guts behind the entire actions that I take part in, the entire dance cultures I take part in.
IG: So the theme of this 12 months’s DanceCrush awards is “decades,” and honoring individuals who have been particularly in Seattle for greater than a decade. How do you assume your artistry has modified over the previous decade?
TW: Oh my god, it has been a decade! Yeah round 2010 was after I took my first dance class. How has [my artistry] modified? I really feel like on the root of all of it, I nonetheless do it for the enjoyment of it. For my why: for the group, the enjoyment and the liberation that I really feel. I really feel like inside these previous 10 years, I’ve been in a position to construct my voice increasingly inside varied varieties. Being in a position to construct vocabulary to have the ability to converse the language of the varieties, in addition to having the ability to carry my voice into it. I’ve discovered additionally about boundaries. I believe on the very starting, I all the time mentioned sure to all the things. Did this burnout factor? Like, Oh shit, I’m burnt out, however I’m nonetheless gonna maintain going! And now I’m extra of like, What are my values? What do I align with? Do I’ve capability? And then to say no, gently, or within the ways in which really feel good for me, you realize? So, boundaries have gotten higher for myself and in my dance. And my group has grown. That’s an enormous one, my group has grown a lot. I believe after I first entered the scene, I didn’t know anybody. And now simply type of taking a look at it, I’m so grateful for dance for having the ability to have conversations with y’all and to have the ability to join with totally different folks and listen to their experiences and share my very own, have it’s verbally or by means of our personal our bodies.
IG: I really feel like that’s an enormous factor too, as a result of simply watching you because the UW days, other than collaborating in several communities, you’ve additionally began occasions or sequence of courses and all these issues. What usually leads you to begin issues like Queen of the Hill or your Waacking courses, and now you’ve digital courses each Saturday. What has been the impetus so that you can begin this stuff?
TW: Doing jams or instructing courses, it was as a result of it was actually enjoyable for me. I used to be like, I need to throw a jam, as a result of getting everybody collectively is so highly effective. To be capable to be in a room the place we’re all screaming on the high of our lungs in celebration — I really like that feeling. So I might simply throw jams for the enjoyable of it. Of course, it was hella fucking onerous. But, boundaries! I believe now, after I throw jams or if I particularly educate, I believe what attracts me probably the most to it’s nonetheless group. When I see folks give themselves permission to similar to, go off and simply specific themselves so actually with the music, it provides me permission to as effectively. I believe that’s an enormous motive why I proceed to show, particularly whereas in quarantine, I nonetheless really feel that collective vibration that we’re including to the world. I nonetheless really feel that sense of group, that sense of collective empowerment. And the sense of group care too, versus like only one particular person shining. I really feel like everybody sees each other, everybody’s witnessing each other. I believe that’s hella life altering, to have the ability to be witnessed, and so that you can witness your self, and so that you can give house to witness others. Yeah, and to see everybody’s potential and sweetness.
IG: What obtained you to begin instructing Waacking particularly? Because you have been mentioning earlier the historical past of the shape and the communities that developed it. What led you to lastly really feel such as you have been prepared to show the shape and never simply be a practitioner?
TW: I began instructing in 2016 at The Studios…That was my first common waacking class. And that occurred as a result of there was a submit on Facebook…somebody was searching for a waacking instructor. And then I commented, after which an entire bunch of individuals actually advocated that I begin instructing. And throughout that point, I had quite a lot of bravery. I really feel like I nonetheless do, however throughout that point in 2016, I had a lot bravery that I used to be like, Fuck it, if people need me to show, I’m going to show. I’m going to remember that I’m nonetheless studying new stuff, however nonetheless be assured that I nonetheless have issues to share and supply. So I believe group motivated me to show. And I additionally noticed it as a possibility to have the ability to maintain myself much more accountable … to be accountable by [continuing] to study as finest as I can to my skills. And as I began instructing, I felt like I used to be discovering extra of my voice as a instructor than a dancer. And I stored instructing increasingly, as a result of it was so enjoyable. After each single class, I consider the method of having the ability to plan and assume, what could be actually enjoyable for folk? How do I educate in a manner that honors the tradition? But how do I additionally educate in a manner that honors the group, ourselves, to have the ability to discover our personal voice in it, and to evolve it and develop? So it was all the time fairly enjoyable to search out like that stability with each class.
IG: How do you assume residing in Seattle and rising up right here has formed you as an artist as you proceed to search out your voice?
TW: As I proceed to search out my voice, I’m actually enthusiastic about my platforms that I’ve, and having the ability to use my voice by means of dance. But additionally actually simply utilizing my voice and my platforms to uplift the values that I consider in, to uplift the communities that I need to see thriving, to carry to gentle points which are taking place in the neighborhood. Really evaluating my privileges and having the ability to use that for what I consider in. And I seen that originally, I used to be hella scared to [do that]. I felt like there’s this division I performed between artwork and like, fucking human rights. And I really feel extra courageous, and fewer uncertain of myself to talk my reality about how I really feel about particular points and permitting myself to have the ability to mix my artwork with what I consider in. Being in Seattle, I discover myself talking up…as I study extra about American historical past, uncovering extra and acknowledging genocide of Indigenous folks, the enslavement of Black people and African Americans, and uncovering extra about Latinx and Asian American historical past. It feels painful, however I really feel like quite a lot of American historical past is understanding the ache behind it, however having the ability to concentrate on what occurred previously and to concentrate on the place our privileges are, and to have the ability to use that to see a world that’s truly equitable. I really feel like reflecting on Seattle, enthusiastic about gentrification, enthusiastic about earlier than gentrification, it was genocide. [I’m] simply attempting to advocate for the communities which have been right here for the neighborhoods just like the CID [Chinatown-International District], actually advocate for the [Central District] that I need to see thriving, the South End [that] I need to see thriving. I really feel like I consciously attempt to use my platform to uplift the communities there. And, yeah, it goes again to me seeing my identification as a queer Asian American lady who grew up within the CID, but in addition [in the] South End and having the ability to be like, okay, I’m about my group. So how can I exploit my platforms to essentially, actually stroll that speak, to bounce that speak?
IG: How did your group, Malicious Vixens, come to be?
TW: So how we got here to be was we truly was once a home [a community or chosen family structures within queer and trans underground ballroom culture]. We began off as Malicious Allure. It was Keelan Johnson and I, and we, I don’t even know we simply clicked and we met at a ball … at Hillman City Collaboratory, and made it to the finals in Virgin Vogue Featured, and we received scholarships to make a journey to Portland to stroll one among [the balls] and likewise [there was] a whacking battle there. After that journey, Keelan and I stored dancing collectively. And then we have been like, “Why don’t we just start something? Let’s call ourselves Malicious Allure.” My ballroom title was Malicious Hi-Chew, after which Keelan’s ballroom title is Android Allure so we mixed it after which afterward, Keelan was like, hey, okay, so kids? And I used to be like, “I’m ready!” And then we had an enormous home crammed with quite a lot of members. Over time, naturally, people began shifting on doing their very own factor. And it got here all the way down to Grace [Masaoka], Zahra [Masaoka], Alyssa [Oyadomari] and myself because the 4 of us. And in 2018-ish, we determined to rename ourselves to Malicious Vixens. We went by means of different names too, we have been like attempting to determine it out, however Malicious Vixens felt so proper for us, it was actually highly effective. I really like our collaboration, how we supply the burden for each other and the group and … in our dance, however like after we cook dinner, everybody chooses a task and everybody is ready to delegate … [or when] we do Google Docs collectively and plan issues, have it’s like journeys, we every have all the burden.
We selected the title Vixens as a result of there’s a folktale concerning the fox spirit in Japanese and Chinese tradition — in Chinese tradition it’s referred to as the Huli Jing and in Japanese tradition it’s referred to as the Kitsune. And some folktales say that the extra tails you’ve, the extra highly effective and wiser the huli jing/kitsune is. With the 4 of us, we’re so highly effective collectively with our tails. How it feels after we are all collectively creating and caring for each other is revitalizing and empowering to each one among us. But basically, we selected the title Malicious Vixens as a result of I really feel like quite a lot of instances, people could field Asian ladies as timid and submissive and all of this stuff. So we actually just like the phrase malicious as a result of it’s like, don’t fuck with us. And then vixens, as a result of we’re fucking cunning! And taking again the time period vixens I believe, people [may] assume negatively, however I like it. We see it as having the ability to pay homage for our cultures as effectively. And simply as a bunch, I really feel like we stand for our sisterhood at first. I really feel like we additionally stand for collective liberation as effectively. We actually maintain one another accountable in simply ensuring we’re aligned with our values, additionally ensuring that we’re caring for ourselves, and we actually have fun and uplift each other. Before quarantine, it’s been wonderful to have the ability to journey with them and to carry out with them, have it’s in Seattle or elsewhere. It’s all the time a lot enjoyable, as a result of we’re like finest buddies kicking it. But on the identical time, we’re finest buddies kicking it that love dancing. … Even if we aren’t dancing anymore. As a bunch, I do know that our sisterhood is all the time going to be ceaselessly.
IG: I really like that. What would you say is your inventive philosophy?
TW: Oh, dang!
IG: I suppose philosophy is such an enormous phrase. What are some type of pillars that you simply assume have formed the alternatives that you simply make artistically?
TW: I believe proper now what’s arising for me is dancing with the idea in my energy, … understanding my energy. Really respecting what I’ve to say and giving myself permission and house to say it in a manner that feels trustworthy for me and to not field myself in. And to know that I’m so many spectrums — I can dance with enjoyable, with pleasure, but in addition to precise anger, ache, to be susceptible. And I believe what’s essential for me is dancing with integrity, dancing with presence, and dancing with play, and permitting myself to essentially simply play and fucking round if I need to. Something I’m studying extra is that as I dance, it’s such a fantastic connection to my ancestors, and to the ancestors within the dance varieties that allowed me to have the ability to converse.
IG: That’s so stunning. So what does the longer term appear to be for you? Obviously, we’re nonetheless in a pandemic, and that affects actually all the things. But what are some issues that you simply’re eager for? Or are there any upcoming initiatives or simply issues that you simply’re engaged on at present?
TW: The Vixens and I took a break from placing out hella work, however I seen that we’re beginning to create collectively once more and it feels good. We’ve been engaged on a few video initiatives collectively. Personally, I’ve been attempting to consider methods to use my artwork with my family members. I really like performing and I really like sharing with so many communities. I additionally love my household so much and love my finest buddies, my homies. I seen that as an alternative of, I don’t know, writing [or] sending up a message of me speaking, I’ll additionally ship a dance for them, like a birthday dance or one thing. But simply attempting to consider methods to use my presents and to share that past simply performances. [I’m also] at present instructing “Honey and Sensualitea” — a category on simply stepping into your self and into your our bodies and giving your self permission to precise your self and do you and get into sensuality. I educate Waacking each week on Tuesdays and maintain quarterly open mics the place people can simply share their expressions of nevertheless they’re feeling to no matter observe by means of the type of Waacking. [Also] simply getting some gigs right here and there and performing. That’s what I’m largely doing proper now. And looking for extra space to relaxation, if I’m not feeling like coaching, to permit myself to only relaxation and chill and be capable to discover different types of creativity, have it’s like cooking or singing or one thing like that. What I see sooner or later that I’m trying ahead to? You know, I haven’t actually thought concerning the future that a lot. But that is nice train.
IG: I suppose you might do one thing like short-term future, and likewise long-term like, say the subsequent decade.
TW: Oh dang!
IG: Put some desires on the market, you realize!
TW: Okay, brief time period. I do know what feels proper for me is, this is also type of imprecise … there’s quite a lot of me that desires to bounce with a deeper connection to my ancestors. At the identical time, I do know I’m already related to them, however there’s this a part of me that desires to dive deeper in having the ability to be extra intentional about bringing my ancestors in and having the ability to really feel them much more by means of my dance. Things that I additionally see sooner or later is I need to see a group house that is sort of a library, like hella totally different rooms. People can take courses in the event that they need to, however folks may also come by means of to session, there’s going to be rooms for occasions, if folks need to throw balls, I don’t know, however some kind of group house that’s central the place everybody can come get down and dance. Because I do know quite a lot of dance studios have been closed, however I believe when it’s time, that’s gonna present up.