Marissa Wong
Artistic Director | Choreographer | Performer | Movement Facilitator
Marissa Wong is a Chinese-Canadian dance artist and the Artistic Director of The Falling Company, formerly the response.. Her engagement with the Vancouver, BC community, highlights her intentions to change the systemic structure in dance through the facilitation of inclusive and sustainable arts spaces. Marissa is invested in continuous growth and her work reflects her observations of the human experience.
Marissa received her education from Ballet Austin and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. In 2015, she founded TWObigsteps Collective. Since then, Marissa has choreographed a diverse range of works showcased internationally, including notable performances such as:
Family Room at The Dance Centre (2023, 2024), EDAM Fall Choreographic Series (2022)
Departure at Nextfest (2022) and The Dance Centre (2021)
Livespace at Dance in Vancouver (2019)
Veils at TEDxSoma (San Francisco, 2019), CADA/West Fundraiser (2018), and Dance Café (2017)
Surrenderance at Dance in Vancouver (2017) and 12 Minutes Max Edition #41 (2017)
Marissa has been hosted for choreographic residencies at Banff Centre for the Arts, Dance Victoria, The Dance Centre, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, BC Movement Arts Society, Left of Main, LEÑA Residency, DORSALEDanse, and others. She has participated in international arts exchange at internationale tanzmesse nrw (Dusseldorf, Germany) and the International Choreographers Retreat (Montréal, QC). In addition to her choreographic pursuits, she has produced performances for her self-choreographed solo, Departure, and co-hosted the performance SPLIT/BILL with WAREHAUS Dance. Marissa has contributed as Assistant Stage Manager for the response.'s VAST (2018) and Workspace III (2017), and served as Project Manager for MascallDance’s BLOOM (2019). She acknowledges the ongoing support from the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, and City of Vancouver.
Marissa has actively engaged with the community through initiatives such as the PLUNGE Mentorship Project, a paid mentorship program supporting emerging and early-career artists in creation and performance. She has served as a mentor and panelist for the Dancer Transition Resource Centre, and conducted workshops at institutions like the LINES Ballet Training Program and Gulf Island School of Performing Arts. Marissa has also taught and created commissioned works for youth programs facilitated by MISCELLANEOUS Productions, the Youth Engagement Program at the Dance Centre, and Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet. Additionally, she has contributed her expertise as a Ballet Instructor at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Spiral Dance Centre.
Marissa and The Falling Company have the privilege to create, play and share on the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh, Səlílwətaɬ, and xwməθkwəyəm Nations, also named Vancouver, BC.