Staff

Lee Yupin
Dip. RBS, ARAD
Founder and Director

Founder and Director of Sri Wilayah Ballet Centre. After finishing the RAD Advanced in 1979, she furthered her dance training at the Royal Ballet School, London. Upon graduation, she completed her teacher’s training course and obtained her Diploma in Dance Teaching. She joined the Vienna Festival Ballet, touring and performing as a soloist with the company in Germany and England.

After returning to Malaysia, she founded her ballet school and continued dancing with Sutra Dance Theatre and Kuala Lumpur Dance Theatre, and also choreographed and performed in various musicals with the Selangor Philharmonic Society. She is a founding committee member of The Dance Society of Malaysia, and choreographed works for the society’s festivals and productions, namely ‘The Slave Princess’ premiered and staged in 2000 and 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, and re-staged in 2009 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

She has tutored and mentored new teachers under the Royal Academy of Dance for the RAD Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies, and was also engaged by RAD UK to tutor the new Grade 1-5 syllabi in South East Asia. Ms. Lee has trained many students, some of whom have pursued their dance training internationally in the UK, Hong Kong, US, and Australia, and who have moved on to performing, choreographing, or teaching dance professionally in the performing arts sphere. She has become one of the most respected ballet educators in the region.

Goh Siew Hiong (ARAD)
Principal Teacher 

Ms. Goh started dance classes in her teens. Being late did not stop her from pursuing dance as a career. She joined the “Professional Dancers Course” at Ellie Zhou Ballet Studio. In 2005, she danced with Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York. She also completed her Certificate of Ballet Teaching Studies of the Royal Academy of Dance, London. In 2006, she passed both the RAD and ISTD Advanced 2. She danced in The Dance Society of Malaysia’s productions ‘Passion Flower’, ‘Slave Princess’ and many others.  She was also Ballet Mistress and rehearsal teacher for the productions of Slave Princess in Kuala Lumpur in 2007 and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in 2009, Danceworks Productions of Carmen in 2010 and Don Quixote 2011.

Ms. Goh has been teaching in Sri Wilayah Ballet Centre since 2007 and is now a full time teacher and a personal assistant to the Director.

Ho Kah Yeng (ARAD)
Full-time Teacher

Ho Kah Yeng completed her Royal Academy of Dance’s Certificate of Ballet Studies in 2013 and is now a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance. She has been teaching in Sri Wilayah Ballet Centre since 2011 and is now a full time teacher with the school.

She assisted Danceworks Production’s Coppelia in 2013 by helping in wardrobe and makeup. She is one of the committee members of The Dance Society of Malaysia and has been coordinating TDS’ Solo Classical Ballet Competition since 2016. Aside from dance, Kah Yeng also holds a Diploma in Graphic Design.

Tan I-Lyn (ARAD)
Full-time Teacher

I-Lyn trained in classical ballet with Sri Wilayah Ballet Centre in Kuala Lumpur where she completed Advanced 1 in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus in 2007. Between 2005 and 2008, she performed at the Living Heritage Malaysian Dance Festival (2005) and for The Dance Society of Malaysia. Additionally, I-Lyn performed in Sri Wilayah Ballet Centre’s concerts, while also taking part in the dance ensemble for Cempaka School’s Annual Box Office Production “Witches of Oz” (2007). 

She furthered her studies in dance at the Victoria College of Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne, in the year 2010 and graduated with a Bachelor of Dance undergraduate degree in 2012. Now back in Malaysia, she has completed her Advance 2 examination and is currently teaching at SWBC. I-Lyn participated in Short + Sweet 2013 and debuted her first piece of choreography entitled Pulsate. 

Yap Lee Ya (ARAD)
Teacher

Yap Lee Ya joined the teaching faculty in October 2010. She completed her Royal Academy of Dance’s Advanced 2 examination in 2009 and obtained a distinction. Miss Yap was the 1st prize winner in The Dance Society of Malaysia’s 13th Solo Classical Ballet Competition 2010 for Category 1 and was awarded the Patron’s Award to experience a week’s training with the Singapore Dance Theatre.

She was also chosen to perform with the Danceworks Production’s Don Quixote in January 2011. Having Ms. Lee Yupin as her mentor for her teaching module in the RAD Certificate of Ballet Studies, Lee Ya is now a fully registered teacher with the RAD. Lee Ya performed in ‘La Bayadere’ (2015) a collaboration between KL Danceworks and The Dance Society of Malaysia, as a soloist dancer. She runs Lee Ya Ballet Studio, located in Klang.

Tan Jo-Lyn
Teacher

With a background in classical ballet and additional training in Latin & ballroom, contemporary, and musical styles, Jo-Lyn has been actively involved in the performing arts from a young age. Her training follows the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, alongside guidance from teachers of diverse dance backgrounds. Her performance experience spans leading dance ensembles in musical theatre productions, dance showcases, and choreographed pieces across school and university settings.

While pursuing her further studies in the U.S., she continued developing her craft and refining her technique through ballet and contemporary dance at the Claremont Colleges, where she deepened her understanding of movement and performance through exposure to varied choreographic styles and methods.

She is currently pursuing her Certificate in Dance Teaching (CDT) under the RAD UK as part of its inaugural cohort of trainees. Her teaching philosophy is shaped by the guidance and influence of dedicated mentors including Lee Yupin, Judimar Hernandez, Victoria Koenig, and John Pennington. She hopes to continue building her teaching skills and lifelong learning so as to nurture each student’s potential through strong technique, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the discipline and joy of dance.

Chow Weng Yen
Pianist

Chow Weng Yen joined Sri Wilayah Ballet Centre as a pianist in 2020.

She started her music journey at Yamaha Music School and completed her Yamaha Teacher’s Grade 5 for Piano and Fundamentals Examination. Subsequently, she also obtained her ABRSM Grade 8 Piano and ATCL (Associate of Trinity College London Piano Recital), Diploma in Music Performance.

Weng Yen graduated with a Diploma in Music from Malaysian Institute of Art. She works closely with vocalists and instrumentalists and performed in various recitals and occasions.

Cheryl Yap & Cecilia Chan
SW ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT

The Admin Department consists of two staff, Ms Cheryl Yap & Ms Cecilia Chan. Cheryl joined our school in 2018 and was formerly a ballet dancer. Cecilia joined in early 2020 and her working experience covers Accounts, Admin & Credit Controller in her past & current full time employment.
Both staff are currently managing all office administrative duties and overseeing the front office i.e as the first point of contact with students for incoming calls, enquiries for new intake, fee collection, and any other general office correspondence.