With Chloe Leong

Tell us a bit about your life at the moment…

Life at present has been very far from the familiar, with huge shifts, changes and upgrades (shout out to everyone who is wrapping up their Saturn return!). After dancing for dance institutions for the last decade, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that I needed to discover other aspects of myself, as an artist and as an individual. At the end of last year, I took the leap and chose to start the new year as a freelance artist. Since then I’ve been dipping my toes into lots of different projects, choreography, dance, movement direction, teaching and a bit of modelling. It’s definitely been a process of growth and decay, letting go of an old identity, to allow space for more awareness of self and expansion, both beautiful and challenging..

What does a typical day look like for you?

My days tend to look very different from day to day. Right now, I’m either in a studio dancing, teaching or creating and other days I'm doing personal admin and making time for friends and family. What I try to keep consistent every day is time for stillness, through meditation and movement - pilates, a run or a ballet class. Stillness and movement really assist me in balancing my central nervous system, taking me out of my head and into my body.

When did you discover you had a passion for dance? Any key driving influences to pursue dance + movement? 

I think a key moment in realising that I had a true passion for dance was when I approached my parents about leaving school after year 10 to start full-time ballet, which ended up being a stepping stone to going overseas to study dance. I am half Chinese and half Italian and I would say both sides are pretty conservative, so when I approached them about leaving school to pursue dance, there was a lot of pushback, disapproval and a lot of tears. Even though I doubted my own ability to achieve a career in dance (I was only 16 at the time), I was determined, I was passionate and though I couldn’t articulate it at the time, dance is what connects me to my soul, it allows me to be in my full expression, so there really was no other way! Circling back to my parents, with all their doubts and concerns surrounding my pursuit of dance (out of love of course), they have been undeniably supportive, my biggest cheerleader and so imperative to the success of my journey.

How would you describe your dancing style? What are the main styles of dance you enjoy personally? 

Soft but strong, juicy in texture, water-like with a connection to my sensuality. I love the technique, discipline and grace of classical ballet and I love the freedom, innovation and the space for interpretation and to bring ‘you’ into contemporary dance. These two styles have encompassed my world for the last 25 years! However, I'm so in awe of all styles of dance, the skill, passion and dedication required to master a craft is something to be admired and appreciated.

Where do you source your inspiration when choreographing? Has your style changed over the years?

I’m really drawn to and inspired by the human condition. In a time when so much emphasis has been put on one’s need for individuality, I see the human condition as an invisible universal string that delicately keeps us together. Reflections on my own inner world and how I perceive my current outer world shape a lot of the concepts and ideas of my work. Experiences of being human that can be translated into a feeling, are something I feel the audience is able to relate to or better yet, form a connection to, through their own subjective lens and lived experiences.

I think because of these sources of inspiration, my style has definitely changed over the years because both my inner and outer worlds have changed and evolved and will continue to do so. I see my work as a chapter, a visual reflection of my thoughts and feelings of that moment in time. 

Tell us about your early days and how you came to be where you are now.

In the early part of my career, including my training, I really felt like I needed to prove myself, to be externally validated for my ability in dance, which had a direct correlation to the level of my self-worth. At the time, maybe less so now, the dance world/culture didn’t cultivate a healthy environment. But I was young, energetic and extremely hungry to learn, to be better and to push my own limits in both skill and artistry. 

Through a lot of inner work and support, I've been able to make a clear distinction between the two. When I learnt to let go of the need for external validation and/or people-please, listened to my intuition and formed my own personal set of values, I truly began to bloom, in both skill and artistry but also as a person. It was like opening a door and stepping out of a room that I had built myself, one that kept me small and dimmed my light. When I dance and engage with movement, I connect to what moves me, I make choices and I can bring myself into the performance with a full embrace, which brings an emotional layer to the movement/performance. It becomes more of an act of sharing with an audience, than needing to be liked or the approval of me or my work. It’s easy for me to step back into old patterns of self-limitation but my self-awareness gives me autonomy and accountability towards what I choose to listen to or not - and I prefer the latter!

What have been your most valued career highlights to date?

There are so many! Moving to London at 17 to attend a dance school was one of the most formative, eye-opening and educational experiences for me. It really opened up this world of dance and art that wasn’t and I feel still isn’t available in Sydney. 

Moving to Barcelona to join a company was definitely a sink-or-swim moment for me. When I arrived I couldn't speak or understand a word of Spanish, I didn't know anybody. I cried for two weeks questioning my choice to be there but it ended up being the most amazing 2 years, forming beautiful connections and movements and I knew after that experience that I would be ok no matter what. 

Some career highlights would have to be, performing a dance work by William Forsythe, a pioneer in contemporary dance. The rehearsal process, the ideas, the music, the movement and the feelings behind the movement and interactions with the other dancers, were probably the most exhilarating and exhausting experiences I've had on stage. And then to win a Helpmann award for ‘Best female dancer’ in my role in Forsythe's piece, ‘Quintett’, was a beautiful and meaningful experience. 

Another milestone was creating my first choreography. At first, it was daunting, I never really had an inclination to choreograph, which is why I pushed myself to do it and I loved it. I went into the process with clear intentions, I wanted myself and the dancers to enjoy the process and when the work was finished, I wanted to be able to sit and watch and say, ‘That’s me.’

Outside of dance, what are your other passions? 

I love to travel, to be immersed in a new environment and all that comes with it - culture, language, food, art, tradition, song, dance - it’s all so fascinating and inspiring to me. 

I know this is dance-related, but I really love making dance accessible to everyone (dancers/non-dancers) because I know how healing it is somatically. What I’ve found to be the most beautiful and gentle way of doing so, is through facilitating improvisation classes. I lead the people in the room through a series of visual tasks, it’s completely unique to the individual and their body but you are also connected to the collective. It’s so beautiful to facilitate and be a part of. 

What is most challenging about being a dancer? 

Many things!! Haha! That’s why you have to be passionate about it. Professional dancers are athletes, you start young, as it requires a long period of time to learn and achieve a certain level of skill and artistry. During this timeline and continuing throughout a dancer’s career, in my experience, a dancer will face criticism, sometimes constructive, most often not and a lot of rejection. I found it challenging to separate my dance ability from my self-worth. Dance is so much a part of who you are, an identity even and a lot of the time the decisions that have such a big impact on your career, life and self-esteem, are determined by the subjectivity of others. 

What advice would you give someone wanting to follow in your footsteps? 

Will, determination, passion and perseverance are four attributes that I found to be key in pursuing dance. Make a list of five values that align with you in dance and to you personally, there will be decisions, situations and others including yourself, that will cause you to doubt or fall out of alignment. Having core values helped me to check in and realign, moving past my ego and limitations created by myself and others. Curiosity is your best friend, to perceive dance, your movement, both your inner and outer world like a child seeing the world for the first time creates so much beauty and wonderment. Lastly, remember that dance is primal, it’s joyous, it’s beautiful and it’s what created that initial spark in you from the beginning, go back to it, feel it and follow it.

What’s next for Chloe Leong? 

For me the future feels and looks like a blank canvas, sometimes it overwhelms me but I feel really at peace with where I'm at in my journey and excited to see how life will unfold. What I do know is that dance/movement is intrinsically a part of me, so I want to keep exploring and creating in the world of choreography, dancing, directing and facilitating and I would love to do this through collaboration with new and familiar artists and creatives to create beauty together. I would also love to grow a community of people (dancers/non-dancers) who want to access dance and form a connection to their bodies/selves. Watch this space, or reach out and become a part of it!