Teaching team

Dr. Melody Hiu-Ying Fung advocates for the connection between body and self through ballet. As the Company Wellness Counsellor for the Hong Kong Ballet, she specialises in "Artists' Well-being" and "Dance for Health," integrating arts into psychological counselling. Melody actively collaborates with community groups to offer dance therapy and mindfulness yoga for promoting holistic well-being among dancers and individuals with chronic illnesses.

Alice Ma is a graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where she majored in Contemporary Dance and Choreography. Now a part-time instructor at the academy, she regularly performs on stage and collaborates with artists across disciplines. Her recent works include I Don’t Mean It (2021), Ding Ding Ding Ding (2021), Leg (2023), and You? Choreograph (2024). Ma received the Tom Brown Emerging Choreographer award in 2020 and the Young Artist Award in 2021. Her work Wu was showcased at the Seoul New Dance for Asia Festival and garnered a 5-star review at the Edinburgh International Festival 2023.

Wayson Poon is a Hong Kong-based contemporary dance artist, he has lived and worked in Europe and Asia as a creator, performer and researcher. His unique practice, known as OnthewayDance, combines eastern and western spiritual methodologies, is guided by Taoist notions of “Qi” and emphasises the connection between dancer and audience. Notable works include Vortex, Moving a memory and PHONATE. His works have toured festivals in Denmark, Finland, Japan, Italy, China and the UK. Poon was awarded the Hong Kong Arts Development Award for Young Artist (Dance) in 2016. He received the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship in 2019 to further develop his movement research. He received the Dr Tom Brown Memorial Scholarship and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund Scholarship in 2022 to complete his Master’s degree at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with distinction. In recent years, Poon has been actively contributing to the community art and professional artist development project. He has become an instructor for the Jockey Club Dance Well project. He has become a mentor to support emergent dance artists’ creative process in the “Flo-Choreographic Journey of Street Dance Theatre” project organised by the Hong Kong Street Dance Development Association.

Derek Lum is an Expressive Arts Therapist, dancer, and dance instructor, who graduated with a Master of Expressive Arts Therapy from The University of Hong Kong, Has provided Expressive Arts-based educational programs, counseling, and therapy for various schools and organizations, covering but not limited to areas such as emotional/mental health, social communication, and mind-body integration. Also experienced in conducting dance classes incorporating expressive arts, choreography, and community arts projects. Previously served as a clinical research therapist at the Centre on Behavioral Health at The University of Hong Kong and participated as a researcher in various academic studies related to arts and health. Currently works as an adjunct lecturer and researcher at the Wong Bing Lai Music and Performing Arts Unit, Lingnan University.