About
Melissa Dorothy Lewis Wong (b.1992 - Worcester, MA)
My parents raised me in a small grey house by the woods, where they still live now. I spent a lot of time on the trails, playing by the stream. I grew up speaking English + Mandarin, with almost 10 years of living with my Waipo - who was one of my closest companions. I loved dancing, painting, drawing, skiing and softball. On weekends I would practice traditional Chinese dance and attend Chinese language school. My time in Yelamu (SF) and the greater Bay Area began in 2010 — as a student in the Performing Arts and Social Justice program at USF. Since then, I have been practicing dance / choreography, drag, martial arts, film photography, producing and organizing. I’ve been a Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency (2023) artist, CounterPulse Performing Diaspora (2018) resident, and featured artist in the inaugural Queering Dance Festival (2019). I’ve received commissions from the Merde Project (2020), San Francisco Arts Commission (2021-2022) and Chinese Culture Center (2022). Funding awards include: CA$H, FACT/SF Production Grant, Horizons Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation and Zellerbach Family Foundation.
Aside from art things, I love making coffee and tea — and hope to start a coffee pop-up / cafe in the next year. I am working on my political education, writing, Chinese fluency, and tending to all of my cherished friendships. I hope to continue visiting my family in Beijing more as an adult, to continue learning more about their lives.
Photo by Lawrence Tome
Lineages / Acknowledgements
My foundational dance / choreography teachers include Karen White, Huafei Wang, Jade Lin, Katie Faulkner, Brenton Cheng, Amie Dowling, Megan Nicely, Shen Wei, Kathleen Hermesdorf and Melecio Estrella. I have also learned immeasurably from other teachers and peers in countless classes and processes.
My drag home is Clutch the Pearls — Churro Nomi and Sir Acha are my drag parents. My fellow Asian American and Chinese American drag artists are some of my biggest inspirations.
I have been a student of various martial arts, including Taiji (currently with Mr. Chu - Fu Style + 8 Palm; previously Sally Chang), boxing (Michele Aboro) and Jeet Kune Do (Derek Chin via Tommy Caruthers).
My current zen training is in the Rinzai lineage, with a focus on zazen, hojo, shodo and boxing.
I learned how to print in the darkroom and process film first at Harvey Milk Photo Center, then at Rayko Photo Center. Book & Job Gallery will always be my photo home, where I had my first solo show in 2016.
I am always learning about producing and organizing from my comrades and coworkers (currently Fresh Meat Productions; previously Joe Goode Performance Group, Dancers’ Group, CounterPulse).
My partner and collaborator Lawrence Tome has truly changed me as an artist and person — to have a shared creative language and to grow together has been one of life’s biggest gifts.