We recently connected with Felicia Chiappetta and have shared our conversation below.

Felicia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

About a year ago, I started working for a media outlet that covered local news. The experience taught me how little people valued the arts in a ‘hard news’ environment. I really hated feeling like I had to work extra hard on proving why I wanted to cover art events, people or topics related. I mentioned to a friend around this time that I felt like I should use what I’ve been learning in my Master’s program of Journalism at UBC, to uplift artist voices (something I was never interested in from the start).– I just didn’t know how. Now, I’ve recently graduated and am the editorial director for 8 MAGAZINE, a new-age digital platform, that’s by artists and for artists to uplift local voices carving their way through Canada’s entertainment industry. Our first issue: The Dance Issue, bridges dance communities all over Vancouver so that they have a home in a digital space and get the recognition they deserve. As a professional dancer myself, it’s really common to only recognize artists once they’d made it in the U.S. That’s when you’ve ‘made it’. But it’s so false. There are incredible creative dancers who are doing amazing things right at our doorstep– we want to highlight those stories. I’ve been delegating and writing human interest profiles about artists here that are carving their own paths in Vancouver’s dance scene. It’s been extremely rewarding. I’ve never been a part of a start up before so this experience is both new and exciting.
Recently, I directed 8 MAGAZINE’s coverage for the movie premiere of ‘Joy Ride’. It was in collaboration with Vancouver Asian Film Festival and Cold Tea Collective, a media outlet dedicated to uplifting Asian diaspora artists.

Another project I’m putting together with a friend is a dance short film. This is the first film I’m putting together that doesn’t include my sisters. It is fully funded and will have a majority female cast and crew. This is really big for the community as much of the film and tv industry is male dominated. I can’t say too much about it right now but it’s definitely something that means a lot to me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started dancing at 2 and a half. I did the competitive studio journey, I did the post-secondary hip hop team, I even trained for a year in South Korea, but I sort of progressed in my industry simply because I haven’t stopped. There have been times in my life where it’s felt like dance hasn’t really accepted me. But now, being on the other end of that period of life, I realize that it was just a test to see if I really wanted it. And I do. Growing up in my household, along with two other younger sisters who also dance, many things we received were conditional. I had to play piano and get good grades in order to pursue dance. I grew up very disciplined in the sense that if I wanted to pursue something on the more artistic side (that was also expensive), I had to balance all the other “things” at the same calibre or level. It taught me a lot about how to balance and gave me the opportunities to explore different avenues for inspiration. That’s why music is such a huge component to my artistic process. Not only the feeling of it, but the technical side; I understand music theory very well. Even at the age I’m at now, I haven’t fully dove into being a dancer. I just completed a Master’s in Journalism at UBC and did so while pursuing a full-time career as a commercial dancer. Vancouver is definitely a city where I have been able to create opportunities in all of my passions at levels I had no idea I was capable of.

A common thread to all those passions and careers is storytelling. Whether I’m writing a story, putting together a treatment for a film or choreographing a combination, I always centre storytelling. Using movement as a tool for that is something I’ve always been interested in exploring. Just recently, I really wanted to get better at writing, hence journalism. During my undergrad, I grew a passion for science storytelling and communication. When COVID hit, I saw it as an opportunity to develop those skills because I saw how needed they were. I’m still interested in scientific storytelling and knowledge translation. When something science-heavy clicks in someone’s brain, who may not have a background in science, it’s really rewarding.

I’m really interested in world building right now. How to convey ideas and put them together so that they make sense to a vision/feeling/project. Writing, movement, music…are all a part of world building. Anything really can be, which makes the process very fun.

I think what I’d want people to know about me is that all these skills and tools I have, I use to help people get to know themselves more. When you know yourself more, you’re more in tune with the art you put out– regardless how it is perceived by others. When I teach dance, I really emphasize patience and consciousness within people’s bodies. It has to feel good to a certain extent. The moves should feel like their travelling through your system, through your bloodstream. That’s the level of consciousness I push for my students and for myself.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m obsessed with movement. I want to feel what it feels like to move in any and every way I can. That’s the biggest driving force. I also get bored easily so when I feel comfortable in a style or class, it’s hard for me to find inspiration. I’m very comfortable putting myself in rooms where I know I’m the worst person, because I know that’s how I’ll grow and learn. Balancing between that and enjoying the things I’m good at is the ultimate “path”. I have big goals in mind that I definitely want such as booking a tour, being a part of really big music videos and movies etc. Maybe even Broadway? I’m very open to it all. I imagine that my dream career would be to get hired for simply being me; for my unique style, look and what I individually bring to the table. I want to create cool and quality art. It’s pretty simple when you think of it, but also very hard to achieve.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

That every piece of art or work you put out there is significant of who you were at that time. I truly believe that movement is about staying present. You could recreate a phrase or move, but the feeling of it can never be replicated. And that to me is not only rewarding, but extremely special. Staying present either in my body or with others is how I aspire to move through life, or else what is any of this for?  

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felchiappetta/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felicia.chiappetta
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicia-chiappetta/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7xDarlj1_iggEM0K2ra4sA

Image Credits
The photos of me wearing the striped shirt were taken by Emilie Bland. The photos of the white tank top were taken by Richie Lubaton.