By Lee Ziyao, Vera (Chairperson), Zou Fei Yang, Rainbow (Vice Chairperson), Genelle Gan (Secretary/Treasurer), Tang Suet Wing Tisha (Wardrobe IC)
If you have a passion for dance, Raffles Modern Dance is the right place for you!
We are an energetic group with a spectrum of dance aptitudes — and you don’t need a dance background to join in on the fun! Rest assured that you will find a group of like-minded friends who can bond over dance and forge life-long friendships.
Photo credit from Raffles Photographic Society (Deck-the-Walls), featuring our Batch ‘25 dancers
The main genre of dance that we explore during our CCA sessions is contemporary dance, which draws inspiration from a wide range of genres, including ballet, jazz and Chinese dance. However, it breaks away from the rigid structure of these traditional dance forms, allowing for more freedom of expression. In fact, many contemporary dancers and choreographers often draw inspiration from everyday movements.
With the guidance of our esteemed instructors from STEP Studio, Ms Stephanie Loh, Mr Deo Hogiono and Ms Matilda Mag, we explore different aspects of contemporary dance, from the technicalities of movement to the art of expression through dance.
Our CCA sessions are held twice a week (Mondays 4:15-6:15 pm and Wednesdays 8:30-11:00 am) and typically start with warmups, where we condition and strengthen various muscle groups to build our foundational skills, strength and endurance. We always cheer one another on and blast our favourite songs to make our workout sessions more lively!
Following that, we would work on different dance combinations, learning new tricks and ensuring that we utilise the right muscles. These exercises are the building blocks for our performances, allowing us to better appreciate and digest choreography.
Photo credit from Raffles Photographic Society (Deck-the-Walls), featuring our Batch ‘24 dancers
Here in Modern Dance, we aim to form a close-knit family to enrich our short two years in RI. During training sessions, partner work is a common sight! We work on the quality of our movements through peer feedback, learning from one another’s corrections while fostering a stronger team spirit.
Outside of routine training sessions, we indulge in bonding sessions, whether it is a simple dinner after CCA or spending time together on outings. This helps us to build a strong support system within the CCA, allowing us to cope with the stress of JC life and makes every training session much more enjoyable.
ARTSeason2024: Schools Out!, featuring our Batch ‘24 and Batch ‘25 dancers
Some of the performances that you can look forward to are the biennial Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Presentation and our annual ARTSeason showcase. These performances are a culmination of what we learn during CCA sessions.
We are given free rein to choreograph our own pieces for most school-based performances, allowing us to freely express ourselves on stage. Working together on a performance brings our CCA closer together as we overcome challenges and explore unique ideas together.
Our last full dress rehearsal before School’s Out!, featuring the instructors and our Batch ‘24 and Batch ‘25 dancers
It is hard work, but the adrenaline rush we feel from performing together as a team onstage and seeing our hard work pay off is beyond words.
Martha Graham, a pioneer in the contemporary dance scene, once said: “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.”
Hence, fret not if you do not have any prior background in dance. As long as you have a passion to learn, we would love to have you join our Modern Dance family. We guarantee a jam-packed and fun-filled CCA experience here in Mod! See you at auditions!
