By Chong Ler Tong Megan (Chairperson), Goh Qi Yu (Vice-Chairperson), Seah Ann Sie (Secretary), Lee Min En (Treasurer)
Do you find it hard to keep yourself from grooving along to any kind of music you listen to? Have you ever wished to feel the adrenaline rush through your veins, standing under the stage lights of a fully filled auditorium? Do you long for a family that you can share your passion for dance with?
If you answered yes for these three questions, Raffles Street Dance is the place for you!
RSD offers a multitude of opportunities for dancers to stretch both their performing and choreographing abilities. These serve as checkpoints for us to showcase the culmination of our training, allowing us to look back on the progress that we have made, and share it with an audience.
Ten batches of RSD at RI200
One of the first major performances that Year 5s will play an important role in, would be Founders’ Day. Being able to perform in front of esteemed guests as well as students and staff is a wonderful opportunity to display our artistry and share the joy of performing. In 2023, our CCA had the honour of performing at RI’s 200th Founders’ Day, held at Singapore EXPO. On top of dancing for a 4,000 strong crowd, we also shared the stage with alumni of our CCA from the past 10 years. The exhilarating feeling of performing, coupled with the joy of performing together with dancers who have banded together despite our age, was what made this event a special memory for us all.
Our Y5s and Y6s at Showcase 2023: Once upon a Dream
Another important event for our CCA, is our annual Showcase, where dancers get to choreograph their own items, applying the various techniques they have learnt in training while also infusing their own styles into their works. This hones our dancers into more well-rounded individuals who are not only able to learn choreographies, but also create their own whilst working with others to make their visions come to life. Additionally, the showcase is always a highly anticipated event, where our dancers acquire important skills like time management, event planning and teamwork, that they can apply in other aspects of their school life.
Moreover, our CCA isn’t just about the spectacular performances we put up. Throughout the year, dancers must apply what they have learnt during CCA practices in different interim projects to create their own unique pieces of work.
For instance, we’ve produced mini video choreography projects wherein small groups bring their choreography pieces to life with stunning camera work and thought-provoking storylines. Our dancers were able to showcase their intricate choreographies by playing around with camera angles and lighting, as well as hone their video editing skills.
Additionally, we’ve had intra-CCA showcases, whereby the dancers perform their self-choreographed pieces to fellow batchmates. No matter your current dance proficiency or preferred dance style, every dancer has something unique to offer and impart to the batch, and we inspire one another through our choreographies and fervent passion for dance.
However, being a member of RSD is not just about developing our dance techniques. Members are also given multiple platforms to hone their skills as leaders and team players. The opportunities for growth in RSD are endless – not just as dancers, but also as people.
Through different committees in our CCA, every dancer is given opportunities to contribute to the CCA – through managing our social media, sorting our CCA’s costume and makeup inventory, or planning bonding activities. Members also have the chance to lead in weekly CCA sessions through warm-ups and combinations, to spearheading events such as Showcase.
Our CCA sessions are conducted on Mondays (4.30 – 6.30pm) and Wednesdays (9.00 -11.00am). CCA sessions are guided and taught by our experienced street dance instructor Ms Stefanie Leong.
They typically begin with a warmup routine, followed by Physical Training to boost our stamina and strength. Moving on, we may learn combinations curated to strengthen our technique, followed by freestyle or choreography exercises to apply our knowledge at the end of the CCA session.
For many of us, RSD is not just a dance crew, but also a supportive family that we know always has our back, both within and outside of CCA. The friendships forged in RSD are bound to last for a lifetime, and while we may come from different backgrounds and places, we are united and bonded together by a common interest and passion, and that is what defines us as a group, as a family, and as RSD.
So, what are you waiting for? Come join our family! Check us out on Instagram @rafflesstreetdance for a glimpse into what life is like as a part of RSD.
