Janelle Tan Yung Huey is a Chinese Malaysian dance artist now based in Naarm, Melbourne. Graduated from The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) with a Bachelors in Dance in 2021, Janelle stepped foot into the Contemporary dance scene right after as an emerging independent creator and professional dancer, collaborating with established independent choreographer Caroline Meaden and Amelia Jean O’Leary, whom she had worked closely with since VCA. Janelle is currently involved in a full length dance work with Amelia titled “A Certain Mumble”, set to show on March 2023 at Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre. She is also teaching Dance and Mat Pilates professionally across Victoria and plans to build on her career exponentially. Janelle believes in the importance of listening with humility and honour as a vital part of her career, as shared movement and stories enable a greater awareness of each other individually and globally.
Tan was involved in works Chapter 7 by Danielle Michich, WAX by Daniel Riley, Wündershon Stark by Michelle Heaven, Remount of Origami by Phillip Adams, WOW by Alice Dixon and Caroline Meaden. She was also involved in several dance films, such as Two Rooms by Director Gilda Jones; No Correct Way by Amelia O'Leary; An Episode of Inconveniences with Molly McKenzie, Amelia O'Leary and Sarah Kosoof. Tan did a private secondment with Michelle Heaven and Caroline Meaden in creating their new work for Lucy Guerin Inc ‘Pieces’ in 2021.
Janelle was the award recipient of The Choreography Development Award 2021 and The AG McMillan Arts Trust 2019 in VCA.
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Tan embarked on her journey of dance with the RAD Classical Ballet training in the small town in Selangor, Malaysia. She soon joined the Chinese Traditional Dance Society in her primary school SJK(C) Lick Hung. As a team, they represented the school in many national and international dance competitions, gaining quite a reputation for themselves and for the art of Chinese Dance.
Tan transitioned to her high school stage with a complete flip of style. She was introduced to Hip Hop by dance instructor Amanda AngelFire Tay, and began choreographing/performing for school performances. Tan was given much creative licence in all her works, one of which she combined aspects of Hip Hop and the use of Chinese fan in creating a huge work of 30 non dancers, wittily creating landscapes of images in the midst of fast choreographed movements. Tan juggled well with school academics, school performances, Ballet training and dance competitions growing up.
After a year of studying Australian Matriculation in Malaysia, Tan decides to pursue her calling of dance in Melbourne, Australia. She set her foot on Contemporary dance for the first time at the Victorian College of the Arts, where her perception of dance was broadened, challenged and transformed. Whilst her knowledge of what dance could be broadened, she found herself constantly in this introductory conversation with dance. As much as she loves playing with choreographic devises and the notion of abstraction, she believes that there is always more in the simple and seemingly mundane, and only sometimes do the viewers need more information to lead them there - if they want to. She aspires to create dance works that reflect her present interests and empower the people she works with throughout her career path.