Dancing Alone (Don't Leave Me)

Dancing Alone (Don’t Leave Me) is a series of onscreen vignettes of solitary women dancing by themselves, for themselves. The work is inspired by a scene from the film, The King and I, where the female protagonist says, “No woman would dance alone when a man is looking at her.” In Wong’s work, the dancer is both the centre of attention and wholly indifferent; her occupation of the screen gives momentary respite and joy.

Yet her ability to escape the gaze of others is constrained by her own longing to be seen. Exaggerated by a highly visible medium, these strange tensions speak of Wong’s long term preoccupation with romance and agency in relation to cinematic tropes, and the complex negotiations that ensue.

This work is curated for Urban Screens, which is presented by Objectifs as part of Singapore Art Week, supported by the National Arts Council and Plan B Media.