biography
“How do I dance, so that my dancing body makes you notice not me, but other things in our surroundings?”
Lee Mun Wai* is a dancer/choreographer who works independently between his two bases – Berlin & Singapore. In his current practice, Dancing As Agent, Not As Subject, dance becomes an act that allows the one dancing, and the entities in their surroundings, to engage in a relational act of mutual learning, understanding and transformation. Using the notions of perception, memory, virtuality/actuality, his practice employs open-ended strategies to create ways of moving that stay porous in their sensing of their environment. Through these strategies, dance becomes a sensual, focused undertaking, moving not to create yet more images, but instead a body finely attuned to the energies and entities around it.
CV in brief:
2024: Stardust. By Ming Poon (Berlin). Role: Performer.
2024: 3-week long movement research for a new work. By Xavier Le Roy (Berlin). Role: Performer
2024 – 2023: Anita Mui, This Banana Thanks You. A solo, self-choreographed and self-performed (Berlin).
2024 – 2023: Maria Cencaru – A Southeast Asian Cis-Sis Reunion. By Raymond Liew (Hamburg). Role: Performer.
2023: Soldier M.I.A. By Ming Poon (Berlin). Role: Collaborator, Performer.
2018 – 2022: Performed regularly in Claudia Bosse’s works.
2017 – 2021: MA Choreographie und Performance, Institute for Applied Theatre Studies, Giessen, Germany.
2014: Young Artist Award from National Arts Council of Singapore.
2008 – 2015: Founding member / full-time dancer with T.H.E Dance Company in Singapore.
*Surname: Lee; Given Name: Mun Wai. (Chinese names put surnames in the first position, before given names.)
Image: Olivia Kwok.
curriculum vitae
Projects, performances.
Stardust. By Ming Poon
2024
Role: Performer.
20 – 27 Oct, Uferstudios, Berlin, Germany.
Movement research for a new work. By Xavier Le Roy.
The initial research phase of a new work. This 3 week long research ended with an informal public studio presentation on 6 Sep 2024.
2024
Role: Performer.
29 Jul – 9 Aug / 2 – 6 Sep, Berlin, Germany.
Anita Mui, This Banana Thanks You. A Solo dance choreographed and performed by Lee Mun Wai.
Featured as part of: Queer Dan Fantasy. A Performance Re-imagining Chinese Queerness
2024, 2023
Role: Choreographer / performer.
17 Aug 2024, 90Mil, Berlin, Germany. Presented as part of An8x Festival.
25 Jun 2023, Vierte Welt, Berlin, Germany.
Maria Cencaru. A Southeast Asian Cis-Sis Reunion. By Raymond Liew.
2024, 2023
Role: Collaborator, Performer.
5 Jun 2024. Sprechwerk, Hamburg, Germany. Presented as part of Fringify Festival.
27 Jun 2024. Tanzquartier, Vienna, Austria. Presented as part of S_P_I_T festival
2 – 5 Feb 2023, Wiese eG, Hamburg, Germany.
17 – 18 Feb 2023, PACT Zollverein, Essen, Germany.
24 – 25 Feb 2023, Schwankhalle, Bremen, Germany.
Soldier M.I.A. By Ming Poon.
2023
Role: Collaborator, Performer.
23 – 25 Nov, English Theater, Berlin, Germany.
One Way Ticket. By Blind Date Collaboration.
2023
Role: Participating Artist, Performer.
18 Mar, Vier.Zentrale, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
Project June 4th. By Ming Poon.
2022
Role: Collaborator, Performer.
4 – 5 Jun, An online performance presented by Vierte Welt, Berlin, Germany.
On Display. By Lee Mun Wai.
2022, 2021
Role: Choreographer, performer.
9 Sep 2022, Kulturfenster, Kassel, Germany.
5 Sep 2022, Prototyp, Gießen, Germany. Presented as part of Giennale III.
3 – 5 Mar 2022, Esplanade Annex, Singapore. Presented as part of Vector 2, organised by Dance Nucleus.
31 Oct & 1 Nov 2021, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt, Germany. Presented as part of Tanzfestival Rhein Main.
Oracle and Sacrifice In The Woods. By Claudia Bosse / theatercombinat.
2022
Role: Performer.
8 – 22 May, Wiener Prater, Vienna, Austria.
Commune 1-73: The Assembly of Different Beings 1-3. By Claudia Bosse / theatercombinat.
2022
Role: Performer.
11-13 Feb, Forum Freies Theater (FFT), Düsseldorf, Germany. Presented as part of Place Internationale organised by FFT.
the last IDEAL PARADISE. By Claudia Bosse / theatercombinat.
2020, 2018
Role: Performer.
26 – 29 February 2020, Studio PFN, Jakarta, Indonesia.
15 – 18 March 2018, Tanzplatform 2018, Pact Zollverein, Essen, Germany.
Several More Strategies. By Lee Mun Wai.
2020, 2019
Role: Choreographer, performer.
8 Mar 2020, Dance Nucleus, Singapore. Presented as part of Scope 8 organised by Dance Nucleus.
Jun 2019, Mousonturm, Frankfurt, Germany. Presented as part of Rough Proposals Festival.
Thyestes Brüder! Kapital. By Claudia Bosse / theatercombinat.
2019
Role: Performer.
11 – 14 Sep, Botschaft am Worringer Platz, FFT Düsseldorf, Germany.
2 – 17 Oct, Kasino am Kempelen Park, Vienna, Austria.
Shadowear. By Dinu Bodiciu, Lee Mun Wai, Bani Haykal.
2019, 2017
Role: Choreographer, performer, collaborator. Together with Singapore-based Romanian Fashion Designer, Dinu Bodiciu; and Singaporean musician / sound artist, Bani Haykal.
Jul 2019, Kunsthalle Bega, Timisoara, Romania.
2017, National Museum of Singapore, Singapore.
There Is Speficifisfety. By Lee Mun Wai, Lee Ren Xin.
2018
Role: Co-choreographer, co-performer, collaborator. Together with Malaysian dancer / choreographer, Lee Ren Xin.
28 – 30 Sep, Kotak Five Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
21 Sep, Dance Nucleus, Singapore. Presented as part of Scope 3, organised by Dance Nucleus.
Several Strategies. By Lee Mun Wai.
2018
Role: Choreographer, performer.
June, Mousonturm, Frankfurt, Germany. Presented as part of Rough Proposals Festival.
Mark. By Daniel Kok.
2017
Role: Performer.
23, 27, 31 Aug, 2 Sep, various outdoor locations, Singapore. Presented as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts.
Where’s The Speficifisfety? By Lee Mun Wai, Lee Ren Xin.
2017
Role: Co-choreographer, co-performer, collabortor. Together with Malaysian dancer / choreographer, Lee Ren Xin.
20, 22 Jul, Aliwal Arts Centre, Singapore.
I Am LGB. By Loo Zihan, Ray, Langenbach.
2016
Role: Performer.
18 – 20 Aug, Venue: 72-13, Singapore. Presented as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts.
Innocent Until Proven Guilty (2). By Lee Mun Wai.
2016
Role: Choreographer. Work created for Frontier Danceland.
13 – 14 May, SOTA Studio Theatre, Singapore.
T.H.E Dance Company.
2008 – 2015
Role: Founding member, full-time performer. Performed in almost all company productions. International and regional touring. Artistic director: Kuik Swee Boon.
Artistic research
ad / un / re-dressing NAN DAN. Queer Performance Strategy.
2022 – ongoing
Together with co-artistic researcher, Ming Poon, we expand the notion of masculine representation, using performance and dressing strategies adapted from NAN DAN. NAN DAN is a specific role in Traditional Chinese Opera, in which male performers perform female roles.
The research began in September 2022 and is ongoing.
Next research phase January 2024, with support from Goethe Institute Singapore.
Teaching expereince.
Institute for Applied Theatre Studies (Institut für Angewandtetheaterwissenschaft, ATW).
Giessen, Germany.
2022
Taught a dance movement course in Winter Semester 2022/23 Title: Dancing as Agent, Not as Subject. November 2022. Guest teaching position.
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Singapore.
2008 – 2023
Taught movement improvisation. Taught contemporary dance technique. Invited back regularly in an adjunct teaching position.
School Of The Arts (SOTA). Singapore.
2008 – 2016
Developed World Dance Investigation syllabus. Taught dance contextual studies. Taught movement improvisation. Assistant teacher for modern dance technique.
Part-time position.
National University of Singapore.
2008 – 2016
Taught contemporary dance technique for the university’s cultural centre dance programs. Invited back regularly in an adjunct teaching position.
Other experience.
Regular dance review writer for The Straits Times, Singapore’s national broadsheet newspaper.
2011 – 2016
Education, training.
Masters Choreography und Performance (MA CuP).
2017 – 2021
Institut für Angewandte Theaterwissenschaft (Institute for Applied Theatre Studies. ATW), Justus-Liebig Universität. Gießen, Germany.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) (Contemporary Dance).
2007 – 2008
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Hong Kong.
Diploma in Contemporary Dance.
2003 – 2006
Lasalle College of the Arts. Singapore.
Awards, scholarships.
Young Artist Award.
2014
Awarded by the National Arts Council of Singapore.
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Full Scholarship
2007 – 2008
For complete CV, please email the artist.
lee mun wai 