CFKL 2014. Photo by David Lim.
CHAN Sze-Wei / Sze
(they/them)
(they/them)
I'm a dance maker, filmmaker, sometimes trouble maker. I'm also an arts journalist, activist, and parent. My work observes alternate histories, identities and social issues as expressed in the body, movement and art.
I never thought I was going to be a dancer or filmmaker. Sometimes I'm not sure what either of those mean anyway.
I stepped into a dance class for a university P.E. requirement. I found my way to the Limon Dance School in New York, while dabbling in ballet, hip hop, and a B.A. in Political Science. I completed a Diploma in Dance at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore) in 2011 and an MA (Contemporary Dance) at the London Contemporary Dance School in 2015. At some point I encountered improvisation, somatics, martial arts, filmmaking, and those kind of exploded my notions of dance and movement.
I made my first short film in a Video Dance module in 2015. I got completely hooked on expressing my imagination in moving images. My main physical practice at this time is sitting at a computer producing and editing films... and Contact Improvisation dance!
Before dancing and filmmaking, my earliest love was writing - scribbling silly short stories, poems, rants from the age of 10. More recently as a dance writer I have been published in Arts Equator, Fivelines, the Straits Times, and the Esplanade Offstage.
I'm also a bit hooked on making things happen. I have worked on the organisation of the Future of CI conference (2021), Dance Kopitiam (Singapore, 2020), the Dancers Advocacy Group (Singapore, 2016-present), Contact Festival Kuala Lumpur (2012-2013) and FangMae Khong International Dance Festival (Laos, 2012).
[email protected]
I never thought I was going to be a dancer or filmmaker. Sometimes I'm not sure what either of those mean anyway.
I stepped into a dance class for a university P.E. requirement. I found my way to the Limon Dance School in New York, while dabbling in ballet, hip hop, and a B.A. in Political Science. I completed a Diploma in Dance at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore) in 2011 and an MA (Contemporary Dance) at the London Contemporary Dance School in 2015. At some point I encountered improvisation, somatics, martial arts, filmmaking, and those kind of exploded my notions of dance and movement.
I made my first short film in a Video Dance module in 2015. I got completely hooked on expressing my imagination in moving images. My main physical practice at this time is sitting at a computer producing and editing films... and Contact Improvisation dance!
Before dancing and filmmaking, my earliest love was writing - scribbling silly short stories, poems, rants from the age of 10. More recently as a dance writer I have been published in Arts Equator, Fivelines, the Straits Times, and the Esplanade Offstage.
I'm also a bit hooked on making things happen. I have worked on the organisation of the Future of CI conference (2021), Dance Kopitiam (Singapore, 2020), the Dancers Advocacy Group (Singapore, 2016-present), Contact Festival Kuala Lumpur (2012-2013) and FangMae Khong International Dance Festival (Laos, 2012).
[email protected]
