biography
Lee Mun Wai* is a dancer/choreographer who works independently between his two bases – Berlin and Singapore. In July 2021, he completed his Masters Choreography and Performance (MA CuP) program at the Institute for Applied Theatre Studies in Giessen, Germany. (Institut für Angewandte Theaterwissenschaft)
His current practice, named: Dancing As Agent, Not As Subject, insists on a relational porosity between himself and his environment. Using the notions of perception, memory, virtuality/actuality, his practice employs open-ended strategies to create ways of moving and performing that stay sensitive in their reading of their environment, allowing us to sensually perceive through his dancing body, the complexities and many interlocking relations of the entities in our surroundings, human and non-human. With this, dance moves away from spectacle production and becomes an act of relation making.
Recent projects:
Soldier M.I.A. By Berlin-based choreographer Ming Poon. 23. – 25.Nov.2023. English Theatre Berlin. Role: Collaborator, Performer.
Maria Cencaru – A Southeast Asian Cis-Sis Reunion. By Hamburg-based choreographer Raymond Liew. Feb.2023, Wiese eG, Hamburg; PACT Zollverein, Essen; Schwankhalle, Bremen. Role: Collaborator, Performer.
On Display. Choreographed & performed by Mun Wai Lee. Oct.2021, Mousonturm, Frankfurt (Tanzfest. Rhein Main); 2022, Esplanade Theatre Annexe, Singapore; Giessen (Giennale Festival); Kassel.
Performed regularly in German choreographer/director Claudia Bosse’s works between 2018 – 2022: The Assembly of Different Beings 1-3 (2022, Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf); Oracle and Sacrifice In The Woods (2022, Prater Woods, Vienna); Thyestes Brüder! Kapital (2019, Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf; Kasino am Kempelen Park, Vienna)
In 2014, he received the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council of Singapore. Between 2008 – 2015, he was a founding member as well as 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.
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
2023
Role: Choreographer / performer.
25 Jun, Vierte Welt, Berlin, Germany.
One Way Ticket. By Blind Date Collaboration.
2023
Role: Participating Artist, Performer.
18 Mar, Vier.Zentrale, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
Maria Cencaru. A Southeast Asian Cis-Sis Reunion. By Raymond Liew.
2023
Role: Collaborator, Performer.
2 – 5 Feb, Wiese eG, Hamburg, Germany.
17 – 18 Feb, PACT Zollverein, Essen, Germany.
24 – 25 Feb, Schwankhalle, Bremen, 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 