Redefining Movement

Photo: Bernie Ng
Photo: Bernie Ng

Vision

Our vision is to be the leading exponent of an inclusive and holistic approach to movement and dance in Asia.

Mission

Our mission of Redefining Movement encompasses:

  • Artmaking and research
  • Identity and narratives
  • Capability and sustainability
  • Dance in community
  • Growing audiences (Physical and digital)

Team

Management

Ricky Sim

Ricky Sim

Artistic Director

Based in Singapore, Ricky has been a professional dancer, choreographer and dance educator for over 30 years. He obtained a Masters in Fine Arts (Dance) from Queensland University of Technology, Australia and had completed his Diploma in Dance and Graphic Design from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Temasek Polytechnic respectively.

He has worked with The Arts Fission Company and Singapore Dance Theatre (Singapore), Katsura Kan & Saltibanques (Japan), Theatre Nordhausen (Germany), Fattore K and Teatro alla Scala (Italy).

His notable works include Transparent Ground (QUT Australia, 2003), X-ray (Singapore Arts Festival, 2007), Visible Cities (Napoli Teatro Festiva, Italy and Singapore Arts Festival 2009), It Appears That… (The Esplanade, Singapore 2010), Turandot (Teatro alla Scala, Italy 2011), Tease (2013), FREE (2015), Sounding Body (2016), X & Y (2018), Alice, Bob & Eve, Ghost Call and Being, and Organs (2019), Interspace (2020) and Overlap (2021).

In 2011, Ricky founded RAW Moves, a contemporary dance company that focuses its establishment, connection and direction of work with the spirit of inquiry. RAW Moves Ltd is a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Major Company Scheme for the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025.

His accolades include: Distinguish Alumni NAFA (Singapore), Artist-in-Resident at Thammasat University (Thailand), Silver award for National Day (Singapore), International Touring Grant for Dance Festival VIII (Indonesia), Rotary-NAC Arts Training Grant (Singapore), Djerassi Residency Program (USA), UNESCO-Aschberg Bursary for Artist Programme (France/Greece), NAC-International Development and Marketing Grant and Shell-NAC Arts Scholarship (Singapore).

Stephanie

Stephanie Loh

Admin & Outreach Manager

Stephanie Loh graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts with a BA(Hons) in Arts Management. She is an Admin and Outreach manager with a passion for making new relationships with clients.

Prior to this, Stephanie worked in Customer oriented roles that allowed her to build relationships with clients and understand their needs. She was given the opportunity to be a General Manager after proving to be able to successfully manage and expand a new centre under Aureus Group, an industry leader for children’s music education in Singapore. Her past experience as a General Manager and VIP Host with Marina Bay Sands has helped her utilise her personal strengths to build relationships with people from all walks of life.

She enjoys helping others through her work and she is excited to be a part of RAW Moves team.

Accountant

Sim Siew Kang

The Board

Margaret Leong photo-min

Margaret Leong

Director (Chairperson)

Margaret has spent the last decade being involved with the internationalisation of higher education as Director (Secretariat) of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, a leading consortium of premier research universities. 

During her career, Margaret also worked for the Singapore Economic Development Board, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Workforce Development Agency and National University of Singapore, where she held a variety of different portfolios dealing variously with strategic policy formulation, industry promotion and development, organisational strategy and planning, marketing and communications, finance oversight, talent recruitment and development, and international relations.

In her spare time, Margaret enjoys cooking, reading, travel and racquet games (tennis and badminton). She also dabbles in pottery, poetry and photography when the mood strikes. 

Neo Kim Seng_edited_edited

Neo Kim Seng

Director

Neo Kim Seng is a cross-disciplinary practitioner and has been involved in independent and large-scale projects in various capacities in Singapore and overseas since 1987.

He has programmed for Esplanade – Theatres On The Bay, Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, NUS Arts Festival and managed productions for companies including Asia In Theatre Research Centre, TheatreWorks, WildRice, Singapore Repertory Theatre and independent artists.

He has produced and toured independent dance productions to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada. He has been focusing on creating his own works in recent years. He has held two solo exhibition of his installation art and made his directing and writing debut with Decimal Points 810presented by Cake Theatrical Productions in 2014.

His first book, My Grandfather’s Road was published in 2015 and he has since developed 3 stage versions of the book in English and Cantonese. He also recently started working with independent Singaporean dancemakers as a dramaturg. 

Ricky Sim

Ricky Sim

Artistic Director

Based in Singapore, Ricky has been a professional dancer, choreographer and dance educator for over 30 years. He obtained a Masters in Fine Arts (Dance) from Queensland University of Technology, Australia and had completed his Diploma in Dance and Graphic Design from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Temasek Polytechnic respectively.

He has worked with The Arts Fission Company and Singapore Dance Theatre (Singapore), Katsura Kan & Saltibanques (Japan), Theatre Nordhausen (Germany), Fattore K and Teatro alla Scala (Italy).

His notable works include Transparent Ground (QUT Australia, 2003), X-ray (Singapore Arts Festival, 2007), Visible Cities (Napoli Teatro Festiva, Italy and Singapore Arts Festival 2009), It Appears That… (The Esplanade, Singapore 2010), Turandot (Teatro alla Scala, Italy 2011), Tease (2013), FREE (2015), Sounding Body (2016), X & Y (2018), Alice, Bob & Eve, Ghost Call and Being, and Organs (2019), Interspace (2020) and Overlap (2021).

In 2011, Ricky founded RAW Moves, a contemporary dance company that focuses its establishment, connection and direction of work with the spirit of inquiry. RAW Moves Ltd is a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Major Company Scheme for the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025.

His accolades include: Distinguish Alumni NAFA (Singapore), Artist-in-Resident at Thammasat University (Thailand), Silver award for National Day (Singapore), International Touring Grant for Dance Festival VIII (Indonesia), Rotary-NAC Arts Training Grant (Singapore), Djerassi Residency Program (USA), UNESCO-Aschberg Bursary for Artist Programme (France/Greece), NAC-International Development and Marketing Grant and Shell-NAC Arts Scholarship (Singapore).

Alice-Fok-min

Alice Fok

Member

Alice Fok is an experienced leader in retail banking across marketing and customer service, product management, data analytics and digital banking in the United States and Singapore. Before her current appointment as the Head of Customer Proposition & Marketing in HSBC Singapore, she worked in Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank and CapitalOne Financial Services. 

She developed her interest in dance and art since she started her ballet training at the age of 5. After she finished her Advanced level in ballet, she continued her career journey in banking. In 2019, she started her journey to coach and consult charity organisation in art and culture scene to fulfil her interests in art.

Neo Hong Chin

Neo Hong Chin

Member

Hong Chin received her foundation training in Chinese Ethnic dance. She was a recipient of both the 2-Year Rotary Multi Ambassadorial Scholarship and National Arts Council (NAC) Bursary Grant for her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) studies at Queensland University of Technology. A veteran performer, Hong Chin has worked with local and overseas artistes. She presented her choreographic work, Out… of Steps, as part of Transfigured Nites IV 2004, featuring local female choreographers and presented by AHPY at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre.

She co-produced Subtext (MAYHEMprojectZ) with several local independent artists, where she choreographed Sitting Alone. Hong Chin was invited to showcase Magic:Machine at Forward Moves 2008, a platform of Singapore Arts Festival for emerging artists. She was also chosen to work with Post Ego Company, a Korean all-male dance company during their 3-month residency at Esplanade to present Yellow Monkey.

Hong Chin joined RAW Moves in 2013 and had since performed in the production of 吃了吗? Eat With Us (2014), FREE (2014), Re: Time x Space (2014), Floating Box (2015), SSLD:7 (2015), 48:00 (2015), The Fleeting Moment (2015), Act II – The Messy Middle (2016) and BOUND (2016).

She guest choreographed S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G , as part of the triple bill of Repertory Platform (R.e.P) 2013. Her most recent work 慢慢走 – Walk Slowly, a collaboration with Ebelle Chong and Pat Toh, was presented under RAW Moves’ Run Another Way Platform 2017.

Since 2013, Hong Chin has been certified under Romana’s Pilates.

fiona koh-min

Fiona Koh

Member

Fiona Koh graduated with a Master of Arts in Contemporary Practice from the University of Huddersfield in 2010. Professionally, she manages Whisky and Foxtrot LLP which specialises in creative direction for branding and exhibition designs; as well as Poppy Studio – a graphic design studio which focuses on prints. Koh is also currently an adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with the School of Arts Management, Dance & Theatre, Centre for Lifelong Education and Office of Academic Affairs; and Republic Polytechnic’s School of Technology for the Arts.

As a visual artist, she uses text, image and object to explore the power structure at play and ambiguities of language within the framework of semiotics and psychoanalysis. Her early practice is closely intertwined with the development of a Singaporean art collective, vertical submarine. As one of the co-founders, the collective is known for their room installations, such as A view with A Room (2009), The Garden of Forking Paths (2010) and John Martin: The Butcher and the Surgeon (2015) that engages the audience to look critically beyond the surface of the work. Her recent practice has seen a departure from an exclusive collective practice into individual efforts with her first solo exhibition, EËJA in 2016, held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore. Other recent group shows include Alma Matter (2018) and Singapore Utopia (2019). Koh was also shortlisted for the IMPART Art Awards for 2019.

Performers

Matthew Goh_2021-min

Matthew Goh

Performer

Matthew Goh graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with a Diploma in Dance with Distinction (Choreography) and attained Best Graduate Award in 2013. As a Founding Member of RAW Moves, he embodies a similar spirit of inquiry, questioning the definition of Dance/Movement and exploring the fringes of what it can encompass.

He worked with artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines — music, theatre, visual arts, and interactive media. Some works include Sounding Body (2016), On Display (2016), Indices of Vanishment (2017), Archipelago Archives Exhibit #3: If I could set with the sun (2017), 慢慢走 – Walk Slowly (2017), X&Y (2018), Close Company (2018), Close Company’s Australian premiere at OzAsia Festival (2018), Alice, Bob & Eve (2019), Ghost Call (2019), Subtle Downtempo No (2019), Being, and Organs (2019), Interspace (2020), C.R.A.M.: The Prologue (2021), Overlap (2021), Glitch (2022) & Stutter (2022).

His choreographies include That Special Thing (2012), As WE Repeat (2013), The Turn (2014) under RAW Moves’ Run Another Way Platform; A Swee Way to Fly… (2016), PerforME (2017), Tapping Out (2018), The Board – short film (2020), Hide… & Seek – short film (2022), Depart & Arrive – short film (2023) under RAW Moves’ RawGround Platform and XITY (2021) under RAW Moves’ Research & Development Platform. In 2021, Matthew conceptualised a digital iteration of XITY, the XITY Augmented Reality App as part of the National Arts Council’s Got to Move 2021.

As a dance educator, he believes in cultivating an inclusive learning environment for all ages. In 2020, he completed ‘Working with Children with Disabilities in and through the Arts’ course by Social Service Institute and National Arts Council; and is actively working with children and young adults with diverse needs. He facilitates A Little RAW, an inclusive young dancers’ company in their annual showcase, such as hoME (2016), What the tree sees… (2017), A Green Dot (2018), What Simon Didn’t Say (2019), A Green Dot – a short film (2020) and In/out (2021).

audrey-desmond

Audrey Desmond

Performer

Audrey Desmond (SG) is a freelance dance artist. Her dance journey began at the age of seven, and she holds a Diploma in Dance from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (2016), as well as a degree in Fine Arts in Dance from the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne (2018).

Audrey has enjoyed exposure to performance, choreography, contact improvisation, somatic work, interdisciplinary collaborations, and dance productions. Over the years, she has worked with established choreographers and artists such as James Cousins (UK), Gideon Obarzanek (Australia), Kevin Wynn (USA), Gillian Tan (Singapore), and Szilvia Fuzik (Slovakia). Locally, she has performed with John Mead Dance Company (2015), and is a repeat collaborator of RAW Moves (2013, 2022). 

Her recent artistic exploration has branched out to screen dance, having produced several independent short dance films.

Associate Artist

Neo Hong Chin

Neo Hong Chin

Hong Chin received her foundation training in Chinese Ethnic dance. She was a recipient of both the 2-Year Rotary Multi Ambassadorial Scholarship and National Arts Council (NAC) Bursary Grant for her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) studies at Queensland University of Technology. A veteran performer, Hong Chin has worked with local and overseas artistes. She presented her choreographic work, Out… of Steps, as part of Transfigured Nites IV 2004, featuring local female choreographers and presented by AHPY at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre.

She co-produced Subtext (MAYHEMprojectZ) with several local independent artists, where she choreographed Sitting Alone. Hong Chin was invited to showcase Magic:Machine at Forward Moves 2008, a platform of Singapore Arts Festival for emerging artists. She was also chosen to work with Post Ego Company, a Korean all-male dance company during their 3-month residency at Esplanade to present Yellow Monkey.

Hong Chin joined RAW Moves in 2013 and had since performed in the production of 吃了吗? Eat With Us (2014), FREE (2014), Re: Time x Space (2014), Floating Box (2015), SSLD:7 (2015), 48:00 (2015), The Fleeting Moment (2015), Act II – The Messy Middle (2016) and BOUND (2016).

She guest choreographed S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G , as part of the triple bill of Repertory Platform (R.e.P) 2013. Her most recent work 慢慢走 – Walk Slowly, a collaboration with Ebelle Chong and Pat Toh, was presented under RAW Moves’ Run Another Way Platform 2017.

Since 2013, Hong Chin has been certified under Romana’s Pilates.

Yak Aik Wee

Yak Aik Wee

Yak Aik-Wee is a multi-disciplinary artist. His work covers writing, directing, music composition and acting. He recently began experimenting with filmmaking.

He graduated from Lasalle College of the Arts (Diploma in Music Composition), with the aid of National Arts Council’s Georgette Chen Arts Scholarship.

He was a participant of Theatreworks Singapore’s Writers’ Lab 2007 and National Arts Council’s Mentor Access Project 2009.

His background in performance began as a ballet scholar at Dance Arts Singapore (1980-2012); and as an Artiste with the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company (1992-1995).

Resident Dramaturg

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Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara (PhD NUS) is a dance researcher-practitioner. Trained in bharata natyam, her academic research interests include evolving Asian performance practices and their affective registers.

She has taught a range of courses at NUS, NTU and Lasalle College of the Arts. She has completed a Dramaturgy Apprenticeship with Centre 42.

Shanthini is also an External Assessor for dance with National Arts Council.

Fascinated by diverse approaches to performance making in the region, Shanthini aspires to inculcate a culture of discursive conversations about dance processes (of dancing and dance-making) that would strengthen professional ties between choreographers, dancers and audiences.

A Little RAW Programme Advisor

Ms Wong-min

Wong Wai Yee

Wai Yee is the co-director of A Little RAW and she has been working over 30 years as an independent performer, choreographer and dance educator.

Wai Yee has accumulated her specialised teaching experience with children in promoting psychodynamics between emotions, thoughts and movement in the creation and learning about the art of dance. In 2013, she completed a Specialist Diploma in Arts Education, an arts pedagogy course by National Institute of Education (NIE) and National Arts Council (NAC) and also achieved a qualification in “Working and Facilitating the Learning of Children with Special Needs” by Social Service Institute in collaboration with NAC.