ABOUT
come as you are
COME AS YOU ARE, MOVE WITH US
Our Story
Welcome to The Movement Studio!
We seek to make dance and movement a fun part of everyday life for everyone!
Our hope is for you to feel a sense of belonging, to feel safe as you learn, and to move with joy and confidence in who you are.
We celebrate and embrace differences, providing a range of tailored programs to help nurture each individual’s needs, hopes and potential.
At the heart of our philosophy lies a steadfast commitment to fostering character development. We uphold the belief that nurturing talent with safe dance practice must coincide with imparting enduring values to our students. It's not solely about the extent of one's dance prowess, but rather the boundless potential of one's character. Above all, we treasure the profound impact of shaping lives through the art of dance & movement.
Regardless of your abilities, experience, motivations, and goals, there is a place here for you.
We look forward to having you join our family!
Objectives
Empowering Lives Through Dance & Movement
To discover and reignite the joy and wonder of movement.
To connect and empower lives by building an inclusive platform that promotes a strong sense of community, and purpose.
Through the medium of dance and movement to instill character building values in the next generation.
To provide instructors and mentors a platform from which to share their joy and creativity while extending educational and creative values in the arts
VISION
Creating a lifelong dance experience that inspires and transforms
Making dance and movement a fun part of everyday life for everyone.
A holistic education emphasizing respect and self propelled learning.
To see our children grow from the values and experiences we share with them into successful individuals who contribute meaningfully to society.
Our Values: INSPIRE
Integrity, Nurture, Support, Passion, Inclusiveness, Respect, Excellence
MEET THE TEAM
Melissa Lim
Principal/Founder
Melissa was trained in classical ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance at Singapore Ballet Academy before pursuing dance at NAFA. After overcoming a series of medical setbacks, she later graduated from LASALLE, where she was trained intensively in other genres such as: Contemporary, Jazz, Hip hop and Choreography. A strong believer in lifelong learning, she is currently pursuing her
MA in Education (Dance Teaching).
As a versatile dancer and choreographer, she has been involved in numerous cross-disciplinary collaborations, and participated in International Arts festivals and projects in Australia, China, Russia and South Korea.
A certified Acrobatic Arts and Progressing Ballet Technique instructor; she teaches at both local, international schools and preschools. Under her coaching, students have won several awards both in local and overseas competitions.
It is through her pursuit of movement that Melissa finds great fulfilment and joy in exploring, questioning, discovering, learning, creating and sharing!
Through facilitating and teaching, she believes in imparting values to her students and hope that in their journey they will grow to become better human beings and thereby artists.
CCA Head
Kimberley Martin
Ms Kimberley is a dedicated, creative and passionate dance professional with varied experience within the dance industry. Her experience ranges from dance teaching across multiple ages and genres, to the founding and every day running of a successful dance company. She founded and grew Tutus and Tiaras Singapore which operates across multiple settings, (including schools) and serves a dancing population of over 200 children weekly. Social equality is at the forefront of Kimberley's personal ideology and in 2018 she founded A Step Ahead Asia Ltd which is a registered charity bringing dance to some of the poorest children in Mumbai.
Kimberley believe strongly in inclusive values and practice. Her experience in working globally in different cultures has given her different perspectives that she bring to her every day practice. Communication and creating
relationships with communities is her key strength and something she has done with great effect throughout her career.
Kimberley believe strongly in, and advocate for the positive impact dance has on wellbeing, particularly for children. This has been a key element of her business and practice.
Grace Yew
Teacher
Grace ignited her love for dance at the tender age of 4, embarking on a lifelong lifelong devotion to the art of movement. With over 5 years of dedicated teaching experience, she is a seasoned and versatile dance instructor specializing in ballet, contemporary, jazz dance, and the electrifying K-pop and hiphop.
Her expertise is honed further by mastering and completed the prestigious RAD vocational grades at Advanced2 level, setting the stage for her imminent pursuit of elevated knowledge in dance teaching at the esteemed Royal Academy of Dance. She is a certified Intellidance Early Years Dance Educator.
Grace's unwavering dedication lies in continual self-improvement, an ethos she seamlessly integrates into her teaching philosophy. Her relentless pursuit of growth not only enriches her own artistry but also fervently imparts invaluable wisdom to her eager students, fostering a legacy of inspired dancers driven by a shared passion for dance excellence.
She is a strong believer in lifelong learning, and continues to pursu
Dorisa Qarah Chan
Teacher
Uncovering her passion for dance at the age of 18, Dorisa embarked on a transformative journey that led her to enroll in the Diploma in Dance program at NAFA. Her dedication culminated in the achievement of a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts from the University of the Arts London.
Beyond personal fulfillment, Dorisa harbors a mission to leverage dance for positive change, not only within the dance community but also on an individual level. With a diverse background in dance teaching, Dorisa has left her mark in various settings, including studios, pre-schools, and MOE schools. Her distinctive approach involves blending elements from different dance genres and interdisciplinary tools to craft unique pieces for competitions and performances. Noteworthy among her choreographic works are contributions to events such as SYF, Get The Beat (Singapore/Asia/World Tour), CSTD, Comdance Australia, Haisu China Competition, IMPACT Dance Adjudicators, Asia Pacific Dance, and the Singapore International Dance Challenge.
Through dance and teaching, she hopes to give back to the community and support those in need.
Andine Elaina
Teacher
Andine is from Surabaya, Indonesia. She started learning ballet at the young age of 4 at Center Point Ballet Academy, Indonesia, under the tutelage of Ekawati Loekito. Over the years, Andine has competed in several ballet competitions such as Dance Prix Indonesia and Asian Grand Prix, where she won 1st Place for the Ballet Junior B category and 5th Place for Ballet Senior category, respectively.
Andine is a graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). She has received the NAFA Entry ASEAN Grant upon her first year and is also a NAFA Talent Development Program Award and NAFA Scholarship recipient. She is currently a Scholar with Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) and a part-time teacher with The Movement Studio.
Charmain Ho
Teacher
Well trained and certified in Jazz, Modern dance and Contemporary, Charmain pursued dance professionally and graduated with first class honors in Ba Hons Degree in Dance at the Lasalle College of the Arts.
With over a decade dance experience, Charmain is an established dance artist, rising choreographer and instructor. She is still actively performing and is well sought after in both artistic and commercial fields. Charmain teaches at both local and international schools and studios such as United World College East, Legacy Dance Co and Recognize Studios. She is also engaged as a lecturer at the Lasalle College of the Arts.
She would like to continue to contribute to the Arts industry by performing, creating and continuing to share her knowledge in hopes of inspiring the younger generation.
Mae Limei Tan
Teacher
Mae has more than 13years of Jazz and Ballet teaching and choreography experience under her belt. She specialises in the Australian Teachers of Dancing (ATOD) Jazz syllabus, and her students have consistently scored Honours with Distinction in their Jazz exams from Test 1 to Gold levels, as well as achieved gold medals and placings at the annual ATOD International Dance Competition held in Bangkok. She is also an experienced Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Ballet teacher, having taught children starting from Pre-school Creative Movements for many years.
Mae started rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 7 and picked up RAD Ballet when she was 9 years old. As a competitive gymnast, she has trained under coaches from the China Olympics team and won national championships. In Ballet, she has achieved straight Distinctions for all RAD Ballet Graded and Major examinations up to Advance level. In her university days, she was also the dance captain of the NTU Contemporary Dance club. She also had the opportunity to train at the renowned Broadway Dance Center, while living in New York City.
Having been trained as both a dancer and rhythmic gymnast, Mae's teaching pedagogy incorporates elements of both sport and art forms, instilling discipline and creative expression in her students.
Naomi Govan
Teacher
Coaching Qualifications:
Premier International Personal Trainer
STOTT Pilates
Coaching Experience:
15 + years experience coaching children and adults in Dance, Fitness and Health.
Dance Experience:
Naomi has been dancing since the age of 3
and achieved a 1st
BA (HONS) Degree in Dance in 2010.
She has competed and performed on many stages and was awarded 1st place for Contemporary Dance at the All England Nationals Competition.
Hobbies & Interests:
Women’s Health & Fitness and Nutrition. Travel, water sports, dogs!
Joseph Chua
Teacher
Starting his dance journey at a slightly later stage, Joseph Chua dance training and passion had only began at Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, where his passion in dance sparked under the guidance of Jesper Tan.
His strong passion for contemporary dance pushed his on to attain his ballet training under the tutelage of Charlyn Lin Xiao Lin. He continued to hone his craft and joined T.H.E Second Company from 2015 to 2017 and receiving further intensive dance training in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
Throughout his dance journey he has also helped many other dancers to find their passion and love for dance by being an assistant instructor for D3 contemporary dance, Ngee Ann polytechnic’s contemporary dance CCA, and in many workshops and classes. Joseph had given the opportunity to be featured in an episode of Asia’s Next Top Model Season 5 through Ms Kay Lee. He has learnt and worked with various overseas and local choreographers/artists such as Sebastian Ledig, Inma Marin, Billy William Keohavong, Kuik Swee Boon, Silvia Yong and Jeffrey Tan to name a few.
Denise Neo
Teacher
Ms Denise is a Diploma in Dance graduate from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Singapore where she majored in Classical Ballet and Contemporary dance.
She is also a certified Rhythmic Gymnastics coach and has been training young children both recreational and competitive level for the past 3.5 years.
She started her journey as a Competitive gymnast and later joined the Singapore Ballet Academy where she did her Royal Academy of Dance examinations. She was also selected to be part of the Ballet Associate Course programme at the Singapore Dance Theatre taught by Artistic Director, Mr Janek Schergen.
As an athlete and dancer, Ms Denise is passionate in sharing her experience and knowledge to inspire the next generation. She is committed to guide students to their maximum potential as well as to cultivate good values and learning attitude through dance.
Rosie Anne Aquino
Teacher
Rosie spent 5 years competing as a cheerleader and 9 years competing in the Hiphop scene both in the Philippines and the U.S. She then coached her own cheerleading team for 12 years - which eventually became National Champions for several years and Philippine representatives for World Cheer Competitions, before moving to Singapore. Through her training as a competitive cheerleader and dancer, she has formulated her own fitness regimen that she in turn teaches to teams she coaches and groups she handles.
She started her career as a coach/choreographer/dance teacher year 1999 - teaching Hiphop, Cheer, Jazz (Broadway and Lyrical) and Strength Conditioning.
She also worked in The Little Gym, Philippines as a Lead Instructor which gave her strong training in child education and development. She used that training and knowledge and incorporated it in her kids dance classes - giving importance on teaching through positive feedback and creating an environment where learning can be fun and nurturing.
Rosie also worked with the biggest tv network in the Philippines. She was the head choreographer of a dance tv series and has staged numerous dance productions for several tv shows.
Adding to her fitness resumè, she recently finished taking her Pilates Reformer Instructor course and is now a qualified Pilates instructor as well.
Victoria Ang
Teacher
Victoria began her journey in Classical Ballet at the age of 4 and has since developed a lifelong and unwavering passion for dance. Her continued interest led her to explore other dance genres such as Chinese Dance, Contemporary, Street Jazz and Latin. She is currently pursuing the RAD Advanced 1 certification under Ms Lang Ley Cheong as well as her Bachelor of Social Sciences in Psychology at NUS.
Besides her training, Victoria exposes herself to competitions both locally (Get the Beat 2017, 2019 & SIDC 2019) and internationally (HKCCDC 2019). She has had the opportunity to choreograph several dances in the style of Contemporary, Modern Jazz and Lyrical for concerts and projects such as NUS Jazzttitude’s concert – Escapade.
Victoria believes in dance as a tool for self-exploration and one’s expression of individuality. She finds great joy in sharing her passion and knowledge of dance with her students. She is now completing her RAD Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies.
Abbie Machin
Teacher
Abbie is from the UK but has considered Singapore to be her home for 14 years. From her early school years until today, she has always had a strong interest in performing arts, beginning with dance classes in hip-hop at Dance Arts Singapore and musical theatre with Tanglin Arts Studios after being involved in the 2014 musical run of The Sound of Music at MBS. She then pursued her passion for musical theatre through a 3 year course at the University of Winchester, where she experienced rigorous performance training and collaborated with industry partners in full-scale productions.
After covering a wide range of dance styles such as jazz, ballet and street dance, Abbie’s current interest is in contemporary dance and has been practicing the style for the last year and a half. In 2022 she was part of a year-long contemporary dance residency with *SCAPE under the mentorship of Albert Tiong, and is currently being trained by Silvia Yong within T.H.E Dance Company’s Training Initiative.
She has gained much experience in collaborating with professional choreographers and artists in both the UK and in Singapore and is now venturing into the world of dance teaching alongside being a new performer in the local dance scene. She believes a student’s hard work, determination and ability to challenge themselves is essential for growth as a dancer, but also hopes to encourage movement as a way to explore and embrace their individuality.
Regine Wong
Teacher
Regine trained under the Singapore Ballet scholars program for 5 years and went on to The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet for further vocational training in ballet and contemporary dance. she is also RAD trained and well versed in tap. Furthermore, Regine is a sports and exercise science graduate with specialization in injury rehabilitation, postural and movement analysis and correction.
Education and Training:
- Bachelor’s Degree in sports and exercise science (Edinburgh Napier University)
- Advanced diploma in dance (Australian Conservatoire of Ballet)
- Pilates Academy International Instructor — Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Postural Analysis, Mat and reformer
- Singapore Ballet Pre-professional program
- Sports Massage certification (ISSA)
- Functional patterns (Myofascial release, Posture training and integrated corrective exercise)
Brianna Encarnacion
Teacher
Brianna started Classical Ballet at the age of 4, since then her passion for dance grew. When she was in the Philippines, she studied under Ella Rodriguez (ballet) and Annette Mariano (ballet and contemporary) in DLSZ Ballet; later on she transferred to Acts Manila and was under the wing of Chelo Gemina (ballet) and Jun Saagundo (contemporary). She then moved to Singapore to study in Nanyang Academy of Fine arts.
At a young age, Brianna has competed in the Philippine Dance Cup which has opened doors for her; one of them being offered to study in Westlake School of Performing Arts in San Francisco. In 2017, she attended the Peridance Capezio Center Teen Summer Intensive in New York City. This gave her opportunities to choreograph and learn various styles of dance.
Brianna believes dance is an exploration of one’s self, it is not just for professionals. Dance is a form of wellness and it is a journey for everybody.
“As long as you have a body, you have a dancer’s body”