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Straits Times

All the right moves: Inside the dazzling world of DanceSport at Ngee Ann Poly

Ngee Ann Polytechnic's DanceSport members performing in Rhythms Of Broadway, a 2024 collaborative concert by The DanceSport Academy and other such groups. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VICTORIA TAY All the right moves: Inside the dazzling world of DanceSport at Ngee Ann Poly The TL;DR: Members of Ngee Ann Polytechnic's DanceSport group learn three different dance styles in preparation for their first competition four months after joining the co-curricular activity. Ms Renette Poh was competing in her first solo DanceSport event in 2023 when an accidental kick by a competitor threw her off balance and made her fall face-down. The 19-year-old, however, was determined to continue, remembering her senior's words: 'No matter what happens, even if someone stomps on your toe, the show must go on.' She picked herself up, found her rhythm and smoothly completed her routine. Ms Poh is part of Ngee Ann Polytechnic DanceSport (NPDS), a co-curricular activity (CCA) she discovered during a performance at the school's CCA Fiesta. Having learnt contemporary dance in primary school, she sought a more niche dance style beyond the typical hip-hop or ballet. The complex footwork and elaborate costumes of DanceSport – as competitive ballroom dancing is called – captivated her interest. She recalled: 'I saw the members doing kicks and turns in their flashy costumes and was so amazed by how they could pull off all their moves in pretty heels.' Since NPDS' founding in 2003, many alumni members have gone on to compete in local and regional competitions under semi-professional Amateur Rising Star and Amateur Open categories. While DanceSport is used to describe both standard ballroom dances, such as waltz and Latin dance, NPDS focuses on the five Latin dance forms: cha-cha, rumba, jive, paso doble (double-step in Spanish) and samba. Though the CCA, which holds sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, welcomes members with no prior experience, it is a steep learning curve for beginners. 'If you ever watch DanceSport competitions, you'll notice that the five dance styles are vastly different with different dance moves, different counts, different songs and different techniques,' said Ms Shayne Wong, 20, a graduating senior and former president of NPDS. 'It takes very long for beginners to train to a level where they can compete,' she added. To help beginners build their dance skills, the first hour of Tuesdays' choreography sessions is designated as a beginner class. Members begin with cha-cha, rumba and jive where they are taught a simple routine containing the basic moves of each dance type. Just four months after joining, new members are expected to incorporate these moves into their own routines in order to compete in the beginner categories of their first competition. Because it can be expensive to hire professional make-up artists for stage make-up, the dancers do one another's make-up before the competition begins, said one of the coaches, Ms Sharon Tan. She also teaches the girls stage make-up when they first join the CCA. (From far left) Ngee Ann Polytechnic dancers Renette Poh, Victoria Tay, Shayne Wong, and Kee Geng Xi striking a pose before the school's CCA Fiesta performance. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VICTORIA TAY Other challenges There is a gender imbalance in dance pairing because the CCA frequently only manages to recruit one or two male dancers per intake, the size of which is about 12 to 15 members annually. However, as Latin dances are traditionally partner dances, members still train in pairs when they first join, even if some girls have to pair up to dance. Getting the right dynamics for any pairing takes time, even for current NPDS president Victoria Tay, 19. 'We were honestly like a whirlwind hitting people on the dance floor,' she recalled about partnering with Mr Jerald Tee, 19, initially. They started dancing together in 2024 after both of them lost their original dance partners to attrition. In dances like paso doble, a Spanish dance meant to resemble bullfighting, the movements could even cause collisions with other performing couples. 'Off the floor, we're often saying sorry to the other dance couples,' she joked. 'Negotiation' is the key to working together, said Ms Tay, adding that over time, Mr Tee and her were able to match each other's energy levels. 'We had to understand each other's roles to know how we could help each other.' NPDS members in the 2024 collaborative concert Rhythms Of Broadway. They performed Latin dances set to classic Broadway tunes. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VICTORIA TAY Beyond competitions, members also take part in public performances. For instance, in October 2024, NPDS performed in Rhythms Of Broadway, a collaborative concert by The DanceSport Academy and other such groups. They performed Latin dances set to classic Broadway tunes, such as songs from Moulin Rouge and Grease, to raise funds for charity. The work they put into the concert was not unlike that for competitions – song selection, choreography and practising as many as six times a week – and took months to do so. But for Ms Poh, seeing the audience enjoy her performance makes it all worthwhile. 'Seeing the audience being super high-energy, then going out afterwards and being recognised and complimented by random strangers… moments like these keep us going.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.