About Us
SMU Funk Movement (SMUFM) is a street style dance club that specialises in the funk styles - Popping and Locking. Established in 2013, SMUFM aims to develop a close-knit community of passionate funk-style dancers who value Respect, Humility and Discipline. Ranging from choreographies to freestyle sessions and dance battles, dancers from SMUFM take pride in their art form. Dancers often participate in external dance battles, representing the club in numerous events such as Oredan Vol. 4, Lock SGP 2026, and The Come Up Vol. 3. With constant guidance and support from our seniors and alumni alike, members can empower each other to develop their craft and encourage others to step out of their comfort zone.
DID YOU KNOW?
We’re all about inclusivity! Whether you’ve danced for years or never taken a class, there’s a place for you in Funk Movement. (#FMily) FM members dance anywhere, anytime - we are always down to dance so long as we have a speaker and good music!
Key Events
- Dance Battles
Initiation and Coming of Age are our key annual internal dance battles that serve as milestones for members’ growth. Additionally, Exceed is our flagship 5v5 funk-style battle, proudly hosted by our club and open to the public. - Yearly Performances and Productions
The club actively participates in performances like Glam Night for ACF’s Arts Camp, Vivace and Arts Fest. SMUFM also organises its signature event, an annual production held around July/August. - Workshops
Not only do our members regularly get the opportunity to learn and interact with our own seniors and alumni, they also get to attend exclusive FM workshops taught by external and sometimes even internationally-recognised dancers. Workshops we held last year included those conducted by local Locker Jin Wang, local Popper Raihan, and local OG Michael Sim.
Our People in Action
Club Sessions
| Day | Mondays | Thursdays |
| Time | 7:15 pm to 10:30 pm | |
| Venue | Studio 7.1 / Studio 7.2 | |
How To Join
There is a 2-stage process to join SMUFM: auditions and interviews.
While it sounds intimidating, do not worry! All you have to do is to be yourself and enjoy the process. Our friendly seniors will be there to guide you along the way during auditions, and the interviews are just a way for us to get to know you better!
Our club is extremely welcoming to beginners and you do not need any prior dance experience at all to join us. So if you are interested in trying out dance in university, or simply want to be part of a supportive dance community, take a leap of faith with SMUFM and sign up for our auditions!
FAQ
Our resident dance instructors are Nic Ho and Fong. Both instructors have been with SMUFM since 2013!
With 18 years of dance experience, Nic Ho has been equipping members with strong Popping foundations and providing guidance for performances since SMUFM was established. He is active in the current street dance scene, and is a founder of New Heights Studio.
Winston Cheong, also known as Fong, started teaching dance in 2008 at various local dance studios such as O School and Brave Dancers. Fong is one of the pioneer Locking dancers in the scene and has represented Singapore in several international dance competitions. Along with Nic, he co-founded New Heights Studio.
Moreover, as we believe in the spirit of giving back to the community, seniors and alumni often conduct weekly sharing sessions for fellow juniors. This is a great opportunity for both to learn and grow as a dancer.
Absolutely! SMU Funk Movement is proud to be an inclusive space that welcomes everyone — whether you’ve been dancing for years or are just starting out. Many of our members joined with zero dance experience, and over time, they've grown to represent the club at external battles and showcases. We truly believe it’s never too late to explore your passion or try something new — especially in dance. So don’t be afraid to take that first step. We’ll be right here to groove with you!
Training takes place twice a week on Monday and Thursday evenings; Seniors and alumni members sharing occurs on Mondays while training by our resident instructors occurs on Thursdays. The commitment level for members may increase near our internal dance battles or yearly production.
Our club has many opportunities for our members to perform at events such as Patrons’ Day and Arts Fest. While we strongly encourage our dancers to be actively involved in these opportunities, they are not compulsory. You can sign up based on your interest and availability.
It may appear intimidating initially, especially when it comes to freestyling and battling. However, what is university life without stepping out of our comfort zone right? Don't worry and just keep an open mind as our SMUFM community will always be here to support you along the way! With time, as well as the encouragement from seniors and your batchmates, you will definitely come to embrace the culture and the club!
We have our annual internal battle events such as Initiation and Coming Of Age. We are also active in the external dance scene and frequently participate in dance battles hosted by the dance scene in Singapore. Outside of training hours, our members are often seen engaging in freestyle dance cyphers and training together in school. These sessions allows us to exchange dance knowledge, learn to better express ourselves, or simply to destress with our friends. On top of that, we also have casual fun gatherings and celebrations such as Funky Christmas and FM Birthday.
Achievements
2026
- SMU Excellence in Student Life
Awarded the Gold Award for Clubs (Arts Ensemble) - The Come Up Vol. 3
7-to-Smoke (University Level): Representative - Josiah Tan Zi Yi Top 8: Alvin Koh How Yang - Lock SGP
Student Category:
-Top 4: Faith Lam Weng Yee
-Top 16: Andrea Hau Jia Xin, Lin Jay
2025
- SMU Excellence in Student Life
Awarded the Gold Award for Clubs (Arts Ensemble) - Bragging Rights Vol. 3
SMUFM vs NRA exhibition battle: Chan Yun Xiu Irene, Peter Wang Zheng Hao, Chian XinTong, Ho Kia Hin Valda, Faith Lam Weng Yee, Goh En Zheng Matthew, Soh Siew Yan Tricia, Gloria Phua Qi, Sim Wen Jing - The Come Up Vol. 2
7-to-Smoke (University Level): Champion - Egene Phang - Lock SGP
Student Category:
- Champion - Sim Wen Jing
- Top 4 - Egene Phang
- Top 16 - Soh Siew Yan Tricia, Lin Jay, Faith Lam Weng Yee
2024
- SMU Excellence in Student Life
Awarded the Gold Award for Clubs (Arts Ensemble) - Lock SGP
Student Category:
- Top 4 - Genieve Wu Zhi Yi
- Top 8 - Casey Liaw Yong Hao
- Top 16 - Josiah Tan Zi Yi
Open Category:
- Top 8 - Natasha Boon
- Top 16 - Brandon Lum, Ng Jing Jie
2023
- SMU Excellence in Student Life
Awarded Silver Award for Clubs (Arts Ensemble) - Repz Your Style (in KL)
- Champion 2v2: Xavier Boon Santimano
- Top 16 2v2: Trina Tan - Funk Academia Under 28 5v5 Poplock edition
- Champion Team: Carina Angelica Djohari, Xavier Boon Santimano
- Runner-up Team: Le Thanh An
- Top 8 Teams: Siew Ho Fung, May Chan - Funk Academia Vol 3
- Locking Top 16: Josiah Tan Zi Yi
- Locking Top 4: Ng Jing Jie
- Popping Top 16: Justin Mok Wei Hao
- Popping Top 8: Tan Wan Tin
- Popping Champion: Xavier Boon Santimano - College High Singapore Qualifier
- 7-to-Smoke Champion: Ng Jing Jie
- Top 8 Teams: Lee Hui Yu, Cherie, Justin Mok Wei Hao, Chian Xin Tong, Tan Wan Tin
- Top 4 Teams: Peter Wang Zheng Hao, Trina Tan
- Runner-up Team: Sia Yu Xuan, Jireh Tan Yi Xuan
- Champion Team: Casey Liaw Yong Hao - 5 Of A Kind
- Runner-up Locking 1v1: Natasha Boon
- Top 16 Locking 1v1: Brandon Lum, May Chan
- Top 16 Popping 1v1: Carina Angelica Djohari - Funk Academia Vol. 5 (4v4)
- Top 4 Team: Ng Jing Jie, Tan Wan Tin, Trina Tan, Justin Mok Wei Hao - Over & Over Vol.2
- Top 16 Popping: Xavier Boon Santimano, Carina Angelica Djohari
- Top 8 Open Styles: Carina Angelica Djohari - Being On Our Groove Vol. 8 (Taipei, Taiwan)
- Top 16 Wildcard - Carina Angelica Djohari
2022
- SMU Excellence in Student Life
Awarded the Gold Award for Clubs (Arts Ensemble) - Dazzling Jam Championship
Champion: Natasha Boon - Ladies’ Exchange Popping Edition Volume 1
- Champion: Carina Angelica Djohari
- Top 4: Lynn Kee - Locking Academia Volume 1
Champion: Ng Jing Jie
2021
- Just a Locking Event Volume 1
Top 8 Open Category – Keith Choo - Funkmeisters Volume 3
Top 8 Open Category – Natasha Boon and Brandon Lum - Just a Popping Event Vol 1
Top 8 Open Category – Le Thanh An
2020
- So High Jam Popping Online Battle (May 2020)
- Runner Up - Darren Chow
- Top 4 - Saklani Mukesh & Jake Hwang