Why did you choose to pursue the dance program at SFU?

I was interested in pursuing dance beyond high school, but also wanted a bachelor’s degree – the SFU Dance program seemed to a perfect blend of these things. I really liked how the School for Contemporary Arts supported you in learning what you needed to be able to support yourself as an independent artist. I also saw how much they encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration, and touring the school and seeing the facilities and how closely the departments worked together was also a reason I chose to pursue dance here!

How did your experience in the School for the Contemporary Arts shape you as an artist?

The courses that the SCA offers really supports you in finding what subjects and topics you are interested in, but also helps in preparing you for what comes after graduation. There are courses like Critical Writing in the Arts and Intro to Stage and Production Management, which teach a lot of transferable skills that I can use when I write applications and engage in more administration-type work. I have also found the specific dance courses like our Technique course and the Repertory/Intensive Studies in Performance course to be great opportunities to get to know local artists in the Vancouver area. Through these experiences and courses, I feel like I have learned more about myself and the type of artist that I seek to be.

How did your fellowship project impact your studies or future plans?

The Fellowship impacted my studies and future plans by giving me the opportunity to learn hands-on alongside a professor, while also allowing me to not be stressed about finding separate work outside of school. For a period of time, the research and development that I was doing was the paying work, and being able to experience an aspect of the arts in this regard was a very fruitful and informative experience. It impacted my studies by giving me a career to work towards upon graduation and it provided me with an opportunity to show what I have learned in an academic environment thus far.

What piece of choreography or performance during your degree had the most impact on you as an artist?

I think the most recent senior dance capstone show “Propositions” would probably be the performance that had the most impact on me! We spent both the Fall 2022 Semester and the Spring 2023 Semester building these pieces, and getting the opportunity to showcase the solo I have been working on was incredible! I also got the opportunity to dance in another capstone that was in the show, and both of those pieces were truly works that I am proud of and hope to continue! I would love to expand on my solo more and present it in different iterations, and I think that the capstones gave me a good foundation and piece that I can now build off once I graduate.

What did you learn from your experience presenting at the FCAT Undergraduate Conference?

This was my second time presenting at the FCAT Undergraduate Conference, but the first time I presented was during Covid-19 and the conference was held online. This year’s in-person experience was so much fun, and as I was preparing my presentation, I quickly learned that if I had cue cards or notes for me to read, then I became so intent on reading my words exactly as they were written that I would lose my actual presenting skills. Due to this, I decided to just memorize key points and speak from with no reference material – this was a little daunting at first, but I believe that it ended up working in my benefit. I did not feel tied to anything and could read the room and spend longer on a certain area of my topic if the audience seemed engaged.

What are your most memorable experiences at SFU?

I think the moments I consider the most memorable would be the moments where I was collaborating with others. Whether it was for a class or for a personal project, I really enjoyed being in group settings. This is something different than what I found in high school – I really didn’t like group work back then and enjoyed working primarily alone, and so this has been a very pleasant and much needed shift in my life.

What is one piece of advice you would tell your first-year self if you could?

I would tell myself to not beat myself up so much over the small things, and that it is okay to take breaks and take time to myself too. When I was in first year, I was trying to do everything all the time and this resulted in me feeling burnt out a lot right before everything shifted online during the pandemic. If I had taking time to myself and done extra-curricular activities in moderation instead of all at once, then I think this would have resulted in a healthier mindset and emotional wellbeing.

This past February, the SFU senate awarded Jordan Zanni with her degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts for theatre performance from the School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) along with a minor in humanities. 

When Jordan first came to SFU, she was a student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). During the beginning of her studies in FASS, her passion for humanities subjects had her craving to explore ways to develop deeper and embodied connections to those subjects.

"I decided to pursue a place in the theatre program because I was craing a deeper and more embodied connection to the humanities. I loved being part of those classes and participating in the conversation that arose from them and I wanted to explore them as living materials with others who were equally passionate about doing so," she says.

It was during one of her humanities coures was when she first heard about SFU's theatre program, and she decided to take an introductory course. After being bit by the theatre bug and having loved the introductory course, Jordan decided to spontaneously audition for the SCA's theatre program. While Jordan worked on completing her theatre major requirements, she continued pursuing her humanities studies and completed her minor alongside her major. 

Reflecting on both her experiences in FASS and SCA she says, "Both halves of my degree helped to round out my worldview and primed me for the rigour of artistic work. The time I spent exploring some of what FASS had to offer taught me a work ethic and thought process that was equally needed in the SCA."

Jordan's dream job is to be a performer and/or creator in a theatre ensemble where she would get to explore different materials and craft performances for a variety of audiences. 

"The next big challenge will be to keep making art out in the community," she says. "I hope and plan to make and produce works of art locally with many of the collaborators I have come to know in my time at SFU. And who knows, hopefully one day I will be back at university for graduate studies."

Why did you choose to pursue the theatre program at SFU?

JZ: I remember my first contemporary arts class, our instructor had us recite Lady Macbeth's "out damned spot" monologue whilst lowering our bodies slowly to the floor. I remember feeling the connection between my voice and body in a way I never had before, and realizing that pursuing this was vital. SFU's theatre program offers a taste of what it is like to work in the world of contemporary theatre with professors who are very knowledgeable and truly developed artists in their own right; it is bold, lively, community-driven, and strives to speak authentically and truthfully in a world that desperately needs to hear it. The program has given me so much, and it has been a deep privilege to study there. 

What was your transition like from FASS to SCA?

JZ: At first it was a difficult transition to move from the expectations of essays and exams to scene work and voice and movement classes, but the works was just as demanding if not more so. I remember that early on someone in the program told me that the theatre will take any experience that you bring to it, and that has been my experience. I brought everything I had learned in FASS with me and wholeheartedly threw mysef into the program, saying yes to every opportunity for collaboration that came my way and immersing myself completely in the SCA ecosystem. 

What are your most memorable experiences at SFU?

JZ: All the hours spent with my fellow SCA students in the fourth-floor theatre lounge between classes and rehearsals. Opening my mind and heart to others in a university framework, an unexpected and powerful experience that I never could have predicted. The one summer we spent working on a piece which was presented at the Summerworks Festival in Toronto alongside a group of artists I love and admire. Too many memories in these buildings to get into, so I will stop there.

How did your fellowship project impact your studies or future plans?

JZ: My fellowship project came at the end of my degree, and I am grateful to have had a professional experience in my field before graduating. It was a lot of work in combinataion with full time classes, but rewarding to know that I was capable of completing it. Since experiencing this first professional opportunity to act as a dramaturg in my field, I feel better prepared to pursue more of this type of work within my discipline, which is really exciting. 

What is one piece of advice you would tell your first-year self if you could?

JZ: Don't confine yourself to one idea of what you think you should be studying, there is no pressure to have it all figured out. Follow your impulses and curiosities and remain open to wherever they may lead. 

Why did you choose to pursue the film program at SFU?

CW: I wanted to find something more fulfilling than the work I did with my first time in post-secondary, civil engineering.

How did your experience in the School for the Contemporary Arts shape you as an artist, particularly in film?

CW: Coming from an engineering background, it was a huge change of pace on how to interact with the world and understand it. SCA offered me a new way to look at the world. Sometimes it was challenging, and other times extremely rewarding but it made me grow my artistic vision through understanding and empathizing with people and their ideas.

What were your favorite film courses to take and why?

CW: I think any of the production courses were fantastic. They offered a lot of freedom to try things you wanted to do, while each professor would generously offer their knowledge to help you along the way.

What are your most memorable experiences at SFU?

CW: It's hard to pinpoint because there are so many. Every phase in and out of a project in the film program has something I can think about and appreciate. But something that is always fun for me is being on set: the moments of play and creation with other people who are just as dedicated, the mistakes that everyone laughs at, the very long days, and the sudden moment everyone realizes we have something amazing. It's really something special, and it comes with amazing passion from the people in the program.

How did your fellowship project impact your studies or future plans?

CW: I think something that is really hard to nail down artistically is finding collaborative environments that are positive and healthy to work in. Through my time at SFU I've had many highs and lows in collaboration, and it's really easy to get frustrated or intimidated to the point of not wanting to do it anymore. Fortunately, the collaboration in my fellowship reminded me of the instances that were more pleasant. We focused a lot on communication and discovery which is what I’m interested in, because I don't think collaboration is always about pumping out an amazing product but growing and learning.

Going forward, I think the lessons I learned with Rob Kitsos and Peter Dickinson I can take into my practice and collaborations with others: being forward in communication, listening to each other and being respectful of schedules, trying my best to nail deadlines, and learning to appreciate the result for what it is. This is something I haven't been the best at sometimes, but every project has parts of the people in it. Even though it might not be what was envisioned, there is some appreciation to be involved in what was created.

What is one piece of advice you would tell your first-year self if you could?

CW: Be more willing to try the crazy idea you have, and involve more people in what you do. Something only happens when you can explain it to someone and get them just as excited about it. That being said, also listen to others, and recognize that people have ideas that you can get excited about as well. It's a balance, and if you can find it you'll be able to really make amazing things happen.

Why did you choose to pursue the dance program at SFU?

BP: I chose the dance program because I was interested in exploring the versatility of dance as a medium and thought SFU's SCA program was the best place to do that. 

What inspires you to dance?

BP: I am inspired most when I am in an environment with other innovative artists who are equally as excited and eager to create something.

What piece of choreography or performance during your degree had the most impact on you as an artist?

BP: The most impactful piece I ever had the opportunity to dance in was Anya Saugstad's Night Storms. This work was suppose to be performed in the Dance Repertoire Show, but the show was cancelled due to the pandemic. 

The most impactful piece I had ever choreographed was a duet called In Retrospect: the Kitchen.

Describe your dream job.

BP: I don't think I necessarily have a dream job, but one goal I have is to create work for an international art gallery.

What are your most memorable experiences at SFU?

BP: My most memorable experiences are performing some of my works in progress at our end of year informal showing. 

What is one piece of advice you would tell your first-year self if you could?

BP: Participate in everything!