LEE WAN YU, also known as AERIS, is a graduate of State University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance programme (Class of 2018) and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' (NAFA) Diploma in Dance programme (Class of 2017).

 

Born in Singapore in 1995, she began her dance training at the age of 5 with Ms Sylvia McCully, a respected pioneer of the Singapore dance scene. She later explored different genres of dance, such as Chinese Dance, Jazz and Hip Hop, before picking up Contemporary Dance during her time at NAFA. While pursuing her higher education in dance, she has had the opportunity to perform in productions such as the Spring Dance Festival, Crossings and Dancers@Work.

 

Additionally, she has performed on larger platforms both locally and overseas. Examples include the Movement Research Gala at Judson Memorial Church in New York City, the World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific Conference's Varsity Performance in South Korea, and the Opening Ceremony of the 8th ASEAN Paralympic Games in Singapore. She has worked with various choreographers, such as Dr Filomar Cortezano Tariao (Philippines), Hollis Bartlett, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Kevin Wynn (USA),  Liu Wen-Chun (Taiwan) and Yoshiko Chuma (Japan/USA). She also has experience in professional commercial settings, working as a dancer in Hong Kong Disneyland.

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She is also an avid choreographer, presenting her very first work, titled "Her Voice", at NAFA's annual Diploma in Dance Showcase 2017, Crossings. The work was shown over two nights at the Lee Foundation Theatre and even re-staged at the Esplanade Recital Studio for The Next Generation, as part of the Esplanade's da:ns Festival. In 2018, she co-produced her own show, titled Bad Self-Portraits, where she presented her second work, titled "Until Then, Take Care". Most recently, she presented  "MINECONTROL",  a work-in-progress for Kaleidoscope II, a choreographic platform organised by Sigma Contemporary Dance. 

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Currently, she continues to perform and choreograph, while teaching Ballet and Contemporary. She hopes to continue developing her artistic practice, while imparting a love for movement and hard work to her students and peers.