Determination, Dedication, and Dance: Mark Wong Shares His Love for Teaching and Breaking

Question: Please introduce yourself!

Answer:  My name is Mark Wong, and I am proud to work in the Education and Community Engagement  Department as the Manager of Theater and Dance Education programs. I was born and raised on the small island country of Bermuda.

I’m also the Artistic Director of  Hip Hop Fundamentals (HHF), a Philly-based touring dance education company using breaking and hip-hop culture to engage, empower, and educate youth of all ages. I co-founded HHF about 15 years ago, and I [have] performed hundreds of interactive shows for schools and community sites over the years. HHF is the country’s first breaking company to align hip-hop dance with academic content and social issues: we use breaking to teach everything from the history of the Civil Rights movement to Newtonian physics, [to] healthy dietary choices. 

Question: Please describe your current role with us. What is your favorite part about your job? 

Answer:  As Manager of Theater and Dance Education programs, I work with a talented and dedicated group to provide free, [performing arts] education opportunities to youth. Our new musical theater program Set the Stage brings together hundreds of students to learn how singing, dancing, acting, music, and technical elements combine to create the magic of theater. Many of our [students] have never experienced live theater before, so we are honored to be their first point of contact.

[You can find me] co-designing new programming, writing scripts for our performances, creating lesson plans, and running around the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts with flocks of [students] in tow. My job has many fun and creative aspects.

My favorite part of my job is my coworkers, who are so kind, giving, and passionate.  A close second is the work itself; I truly get to work for the young people of the city. I feel lucky to have an office gig where I can see the impact of our effort [and] I value the resources that a large organization such as ours can provide — not just in terms of funding, but the people, ideas, and amazing spaces. [The resources] allow me to create space for other artists and educators while providing the community with education.  

I also enjoy sneaking into The Philadelphia Orchestra’s open rehearsals! 

Question: What was the first show and/or experience that you had with either The Philadelphia Orchestra or Ensemble Arts? 

Answer:  Back in 2018, I joined Urban Dance and Educational Foundation Tour Breakers as part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. [The] event was a ton of fun, and I was in awe of the performance art that enveloped all of Broad Street. The abundance of free arts experiences showcased the organization’s ability to enrich Philadelphia with performing arts opportunities.  That day, my crewmates and I got to spend time in one of the Kimmel Center’s green rooms, and I remember feeling pretty cool as a performer. After that, I went to various free events as a spectator and during the Covid lockdown, HHF was asked to contribute some video content for the Education and Community Engagement Department. 

Question: How did you get involved with the arts? 

Answer:  My family kept a Suzuki piano and violin [in our] household, [so] I have been lucky to always have music and the arts in my life. Classical music was a constant in my childhood. When I came from Bermuda to Haverford College, I fell in love with breaking. I had never danced before that but was drawn to breaking’s dynamic movements. 

After graduating in 2004, I [became] a founding member of Repstyles battle crew, and we went on to represent Philadelphia nationally — and a few times abroad — as a successful competitive team. As I progressed as a dancer, I began searching for ways I could maintain a living solely from breaking, and [so] I worked as a teaching artist, an ensemble member of a touring dance theater company, and I co-founded Hip Hop Fundamentals. I don’t have any formal dance education, but am lucky that hip-hop culture opened the door to numerous artistic avenues as a performer and educator before my opportunity [working] here. 

Question: What is your current relationship and involvement with the performing arts? 

Answer:  Nowadays, my personal dance practice serves mostly as my method of relaxation and meditation, but I try to poke my head into the competitive dance world and the performance world every now and then. I was extremely honored to perform in the dance theater project of Philadelphia poet laureate, Yolanda Wisher, and [acclaimed choreographer], Raja Feather Kelly. I consider this to be one of the most important dance projects I have ever done. In short, my dance life outside of the office is not as big as it used to be, but I still try and stay active. 

Question:  Our mission statement is to share "the transformative power of the performing arts and arts education with the widest possible audience." How does this pertain to your art and life? 

Answer:  Between the ages of 4 and 10, I didn’t love playing piano or violin. I didn’t really want to share what I could do. As I grew and I found breaking, something inside me shifted and all I wanted to do was share. I recognized how much breaking shepherded me towards joy, expression, and identity, and I wanted to share it all. I was benefiting from a subculture invented by Black youth, and I was obligated to respect the artform by doing it well and to make space for others like [the] subculture made space for me.    

I eventually had an obvious revelation: the performing arts had shaped every part of me. I witnessed the performing arts not only make careers, but literally save lives. HHF was a natural progression after I realized how powerful the arts can be, and I’ve since widened my scope to go beyond breaking. So, [our organization’s] mission just happened to be in the same direction in which my river was already flowing. 

Question:  What does the future look like for Mark Wong? 

Answer: I plan to always be in service to the community and the performing arts, particularly for youth. I aim to dance at least once a year, and for the last six years I’ve created and produced my own original, small-scale work at least once a year. I’m going to support HHF as it evolves; I also want to always have at least one student and to say yes to every breaking-related community engagement that I can take on.  

I also will travel back to Bermuda as much as possible to be with my family there . . . I foresee US citizenship, dog ownership, drawing and painting, and perhaps a return to instrumental music in the cards. I’ve made it this far simply by following my genuine interests, so . . . I’ll just keep going with the flow.