About us

A woman with curly dark hair poses with her arms raised, holding a sheer yellow fabric, against a plain beige background.

WELCOME TO MING MVMT

Four women dancer performing a contemporary dance routine indoors, with flowing fabric and dynamic poses.

MING MVMT offers contemporary dance classes and training for all levels of adult dancers, from absolute beginners to emerging and professional artists. Founded in 2019 by Ming-Bo Lam, MING MVMT is dedicated to providing inclusive, joy-centred, safe, and technically sound instruction that invites and inspires participants to discover their full potential. We draw from classical and commercial styles of contemporary dance to balance accessibility and self-expression alongside the pursuit of technical excellence and artistry.

A woman performing a ballet pose with one leg raised and holding a flowing piece of fabric, standing on her tiptoe in a sunlit room.

A note on “Ming”

“Ming” is the first half of my name, Ming-Bo. It was chosen by my paternal grandmother, MaMa, and I share it with my sister, Ming-Jee. The Chinese character 明 uses the symbols for the moon and the sun - placed together they mean “bright”. On my birth announcement my parents wrote, “It is our wish that our children will be blessed with the warmth and vitality of the sun and the gentleness and tranquility of the moon.”

The greatest gift as a teacher is witnessing students tap into their own light and discover how brightly they can shine. I believe we are all capable of more than we realize and that dance is one path towards building self-trust and confidence, in addition to supporting holistic wellness and fostering diverse communities.

MING MVMT is a tribute to my MaMa and my Mum, both of whom were teachers, and an honouring of the light we radiate when dancing. ✨

Close-up of a white Japanese kanji character on a black background.

FOR DANCERS (RE)DISCOVERING THEIR LOVE OF DANCE

Four women sitting on a wooden floor, leaning against a plain wall, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

MING MVMT (previously BO’S BASICS), started as a technical training progressive to complement choreo-focused drop-in classes. It has since grown into a space for dancers of all levels to rediscover their love of dance and movement, while prioritizing personal agency, technical development, artistic freedom, and self-expression. Whether you’re brand new to dance, returning after months (or years!), or simply hoping to reconnect to your “why” - MING MVMT provides the framework and community for you to achieve your goals and rediscover the magic of dance.

EXPLORE PROGRAMS

Four women sitting on a wooden floor, laughing and enjoying each other's company against a plain wall.

FOR DANCERS (RE)DISCOVERING THEIR LOVE OF DANCE

MING MVMT (previously BO’S BASICS), started as a technical training progressive to complement choreo-focused drop-in classes. It has since grown into a space for dancers of all levels to rediscover their love of dance and movement, while prioritizing personal agency, technical development, artistic freedom, and self-expression. Whether you’re brand new to dance, returning after months (or years!), or simply hoping to reconnect to your why - MING MVMT provides the framework and community for you to achieve your goals and rediscover the magic of dance.

EXPLORE PROGRAMS

Two women dance on a wooden floor with orange fabric. One woman is kneeling with her head tilted back, and the other is standing on one knee, holding orange fabric overhead.

From the founder

Our why

I grew up on Vancouver Island, dancing at what would be considered a recreational level during the first few years of my training. While I sometimes wonder how different my career might have been had I grown up in a more competitive environment, my early training was where I met the best of friends and worked with kind, dedicated teachers, who encouraged my love of dance and believed in my capabilities.

Dance was a respite from school where I never quite felt like I fit in - tall for my age, with glasses and braces, dancing allowed me to be part of something bigger than myself - to feel beautiful, powerful, strong, and free.

At the same time, and especially as my training intensified, I was acutely aware that the size of my body was larger than my peers and far from the ballerina ideal I saw on stage and in magazines. The perfect storm of body dysmorphia, anxiety, and depression, continued throughout my training and career, at its worst completely debilitating and at its best a constant, negative critique in my mind.

My teaching methodology - the heart of all MING MVMT offerings - is forged from the culmination of my experiences in life and dance. At MING MVMT, we strive to hold space for the “both/ands” that we believe are necessary in dance education: joy and excellence, technique and artistry, challenge and play. We do our best to honour our bodies and celebrate the gift that is expression through movement. We know that dance has a magic that cannot be put into words and we welcome all who feel the need, the call, to dance ✨

Woman with long dark hair and tan shirt waving a large, flowing yellow scarf.

A woman with long, curly hair dancing on a wooden floor against a plain, light-colored background. She is wearing loose, wide-leg pants and a long-sleeve shirt, standing in a dynamic pose with one arm raised and the other extended outward.

Founder & director

About Bo

Ming-Bo Lam is a dance lover and educator, with nearly 20 years of industry experience. She is recognized for her ability to lead with unwavering empathy, integrity, and courage, and her work facilitating safe and educational spaces for novice and professional movers alike.

Select credits include the Much Music Video Awards, the Toronto Raptors, NBA All Star Weekend, The Umbrella Academy, Nike Canada, fu-GEN Theatre, and Soulpepper Theatre, in addition to being featured by Toronto Life, The Kit, TO Live, and Fête Chinois. In 2023, she was listed as one of eleven Canadian Innovators and Icons in Dance, by the National Arts Centre and Shifter Magazine.

Bo graduated on the Dean’s List, with an Honours BFA, in Theatre Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she was also selected as valedictorian. She holds a Master’s in Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship degree from Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business.

Currently, Bo teaches at Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program and Toronto Metropolitan University’s The Creative School, is the founder of MING MVMT, and continues to guest teach and adjudicate nationwide.