Mr Melvin Maqrius

Programme Manager and Star Trainer 2010

A learning journey of different experiences is what our Programme Manager, Mr Melvin Maqrius would describe his Dance to be. Maqrius has been exposed to music and dance at a young age of 8 years old. He took classes from Yamaha Music School. However, his teacher described him as not musically inclined. This became Maqrius’ motivation in the coming years to prove otherwise. Though playing music may not be his forte, the love for music and movement was translated into a talent in dance. He was self training in dance, learning to various movements in popping when he was first introduced and inspired by the all-time favourite MJ’s Smooth Criminal.

At the age of 17, he began to study the culture of Hip Hop and understood what street dance was really all about. Over the years, he exposed himself to dance choreography from the Sixties, Disco, Line Dance, B-Boying, Latin and other forms of hip hop. He even tried Ballet once.

At 21, He encountered popular Hip Hop Group, Hip Hop Kids and did a 3-week show with them at Orchard Forum. It was then did he discovered his close friend and mentor George Tandy Jr. Soon, Melvin Maqrius founded HipHopKickStart, a dance organization put together with close friends to spread the love of dance.
In 2005, Maqrius started dancing for small TV shows. Maqrius also participated as a choreographer in bigger events such as Chingay, Racial Harmony Day 2005 “A Nation in Concert” 2006 at the Esplanade, “Get High” concert 2007 and once representing Singapore to take part in the International Nature Loving Association 2008. In that he was awarded the most creative dance award.
His teaching experience revolves teaching with charitable organizations, studios such as YMCA, Media companies such as Media Corp and over a hundred different schools including NTU/ADM. In 2010, Maqrius also played judged to several dance competitions including Woodgrove Idol, Punggol South Dance Ultimate Competition and many others.

These recent years, Maqrius ventured overseas to explore the cultures of dance. Now he is back with Mastereign on a new project – To unite the dancers from all the schools in Singapore and beyond.