ACF Clubs
SMU Funk Movement
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-knitted 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 the recent Funk Academia Under 28 Poplock edition, Funk Academia Vol 3 and Under One Groove. With constant guidance and support from our seniors, members can empower each other to develop their craft and encourage others to step out of their comfort zone.
DID YOU KNOW?
We are beginner friendly! Majority of our club members started off with zero background in dance.
FM people are around school all day to dance. We dance anywhere, anytime. As long as there is a speaker and good music, we are down!
KEY EVENTS
- Internal Dance Battles
Initiation and Coming of Age are our key annual dance battles that serve as milestones for members’ growth. - Yearly Performances and Productions
The club actively participates in performances like Glam Night for ACF’s Arts Camp and Vivace. Productions are a yearly affair as well; we will be holding an upcoming live production, SYNAPSE, in August 2023. - Funk Camp: Back To Funk Volume Series
An annual camp to introduce new members to the club and promote bonding through activities. - Workshops
Not only do our members regularly get the opportunity to learn and interact with our own seniors and alumni, but they also get to attend exclusive FM workshops taught by external and sometimes even internationally-recognised dancers. One such workshop was our Luna Yuna x SMUFM workshop during winter last year.
GALLERY
OUR TRAINING
| Day | Mondays | Thursdays |
| Time | 7:15 pm to 10:30 pm | |
| Venue | Studio 7.1 / Studio 7.2 | |
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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
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
2019
- Power Pop Popping Battle (December 2019)
Top 4 Rookie Category - Jake Hwang - Funkmeisters Vol 2
- 1-v-1 Category (Top 4): May Chan and Bryan Kang
- Interschool 3-v-3 category (Top 4): May Chan, Bryan Kang and Brandon Lum from Sakura
- Boyz Club - NTU Funk Jam (June 2019)
Runner Up Popping Category: Josh Lee - TGIF Vol 6 Civil War Category 2019
Championship - May Chan, Bryan Kang, Ashley Mo, Brandon Lum, Dennis Lim, Keith Choo, Samuel Dalby
OUR PEOPLE IN ACTION
HOW TO JOIN THE CLUB?
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!
"I signed up for funk as I wanted to challenge myself out of my comfort zone in learning to express myself and grow to connect with people through dance. Funk seemed to provide that avenue with a beginner friendly environment and a community exploring the sharing spirit of freestyle dance together!"
- Rose Lin, School Of Computing And Information Systems, Year 2
"I signed up for SMUFM because the emphasis on their beginner-friendly environment was very appealing to me as someone with very little dance experience. I've always enjoyed watching dance videos, and thought that SMUFM would be a good place to kickstart my dance journey and learning process"
- Sabrina Hallmi, School Of Computing And Information Systems, Year 2
Our resident dance instructors are Nic Ho and Fong. Both instructors have been with SMUFM since 2013!
With 17 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.
Of course! SMUFM is known to be beginner-friendly and open to people with no prior dance background. There are many members in the club with no dance experience and yet over time, they have grown to represent our club in external dance battles! We believe it is never too late for someone to pursue their passion or try something new, especially when it comes to dance. So, don't be afraid to take your first step with us!
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. (PS. Fishtank is our second home!) 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.
Continue your journey here...
