When Parallels Meet: Raffles Street Dance Showcase 2024

Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Amanda Lim (25A01B), Choo Zi Xuan (25S03E), Sophie Chong (25A01A)

Images courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society unless stated otherwise.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

That question opened Raffles Street Dance’s (RSD) performance, introducing their theme, “When Parallels Meet”. The showcase aimed to portray the pathway to self-discovery, as one battles the confluence of differing expectations and ideals. For the rows of supporters seated in the auditorium, excitedly awaiting the start of the showcase, they would soon find themselves on a similar journey of discovery through the worlds presented by RSD.

Introducing: Everything I Wanted

The theme was introduced by the first segment, aptly titled “Everything I Wanted”. To start, instead of music, a monologue is delivered before the dancers appear. When the dancers emerge, we see how the piece seeks to portray the mundanity of ordinary life, with the dancers dressed in plain-coloured clothing, blending into the lights shining onto the stage.

As one of the choreographers of the piece, Megan Ler Tong Chong (24S06N) shared, “The style [of the piece] itself is very ‘fusion-like’ as it combines elements of contemporary and street dance, which meant we had to work hard to find the right balance the 2 very opposing genres!”

Everything I Wanted — the entrance of three dancers.
Image taken by Chew Yae Ting (25A01A).

As the dancers move across the stage, the piece utilises the entrance of three separate dancers, standing boldly facing the rest of their batch. Compared to the plainly-attired dancers sitting helplessly at the foot of the stage, the confident aura of the new performers represents the brighter and more vibrant alternatives we seek, introducing the contrast between our reality and our desired selves. This plunges the viewer into an emotional and melancholy landscape, as we are forced to reflect on the question: who do we want to be in life?

Act I & II: RSV/P & Attent!on

Kickstarting our journey into the range of parallel worlds is the performance, titled “RSV/P”, taking us through the imaginary universe of a social butterfly. Embodying an energetic and gregarious personality, the dancers’ choreography was powerful against a backdrop of flashing neon lights. Matching the lively piece was a set of similarly eye-catching outfits — black shirts and silver metallic pants.

RSV/P
Image taken by Chew Yae Ting (25A01A)

In the next world, there is a desire to captivate and to be noticed. Starting all clad in black, the dancers illustrated a struggle against the expectations weighing upon them. This was complemented with trick shots, eliciting cheers from the eager audience. After a brief dance break, outfit change and song transition later, the dancers reappeared on stage. Donning white tops and their hands adorned with shiny silver gloves, the dancers emerged into an upbeat girls’ style choreography — they had broken free of the constraints of conformity, and now shone in the limelight.

“I think [the transition from the mostly hip-hop choreography to girls’ style choreography] really captures the essence of our entire item, which is to expect the unexpected and see the versatility of the dancers in our item,” remarked Adriana Binte Khairil (24S03A), who was part of the choreographer team for Attent!on.

Act III: 1nsurgence

Breaking free is a common theme that carries on into the next act, 1nsurgence. Shrouded in darkness, the stage was pierced only by flashing red lights — a representation of the protagonist’s past spotlight. Poised on chairs, the dancers began to move, as if they felt the thrill of rebellion rushing through their veins. Complex hand movements illustrate the protagonist’s inner turmoil, a battle between the suffocating ghosts of their past desires and struggling to live by their own rules.

1nsurgence
Image taken by Chew Yae Ting (25A01A)

Act IV: Bl(i)nded

In the midst of unravelling the different false realities in the preceding acts, the dancer’s dreams evolved, no longer merely glimmering and gleaming—they had become overwhelmingly intense, searing through their very being. This internal conflict left them squinting from the blinding light of their unattainable aspirations, a tangible transformation reflected as they emerged in tightly bound blindfolds in the next act, “Bl(i)nded”.

Draped in simple black long-sleeved tops, the dancers’ attire ensured an unobstructed focus on the essence of their performance, devoid of distractions. Their movements, sharp and powerful, were mirrored by bold lighting that cut through the darkness, heightening the emotional intensity of their journey. As they relinquished their blindfolds, the dancers shed away the metaphorical barriers that obscured their clarity and stepped into a moment of revelation.

The final song’s opening line captures the message of the showcase: “I spent my whole life trying to fit into a lane, but I’m so over it.”

That’s exactly what the dancers brought to life on stage—the journey to just be themselves, no matter what. They understood that the parallels they sought to reconcile never needed to converge; their journey was about embracing who they truly were, unapologetically devoid of illusion and pretence.

Final Thoughts

This performance also featured some of the dancers’ favourite segments. Saravanan Neha (25S03O), a Year 5 member of RSD, recounted a special moment when a senior invited a junior onto the stage and passed on a jacket, symbolising the new seniors entrusting the future of street dance to the next dance.

I don’t think you realise how much of an inspiration you are to our batch. We all admire you so much, and we can’t wait to take over street dance after you’ve left such a great performance for us to see.
Saravanan Neha (25S03O)

When asked to share a message to the current RSD batches, Mr Matthew Ting, Chairperson of RSD (Batch ‘21), shared “Most importantly, just enjoy the stage and make sure that it stays an inclusive, fun environment for everyone to experience.”

As Lee Jia Ying, Sonia (24S06A) put it, “I’ve learnt that it’s not so much the cleanliness or perfection of the items that matter, but rather the people you’re dancing with. If you’re having the time of your life on stage, so will your audience when they watch you!”

In many ways, RSD’s experiences reflect their theme — so often, we get caught up in our aspirations for cleanliness or perfection, that we forget the present moment. Yet, it is in those instances that we truly experience the height of performing.

As the curtains draw and the performance closes, RSD’s monologue reminds us once again: That perhaps, I never quite needed the parallels to meet at all.”