This article is part of the CCA Previews for 2016.

By Chua Bing Hong (16S06B), Chairperson; Grace Lee (16A01E), Vice-Chairperson; Gwendolyn Oh (16A13A), Secretary; Charm Nyi Han (16S06I), Welfare; Zhuo Yun Shan (16S06F), Treasurer

6.5 hours a week, countless sessions a year. What is it that brings Street Dance together? Why do we do what we do? The reason is simple – we love dance. Every Monday and Wednesday, we not only dance our hearts out, but do so with a family of friends. Our lessons are with our instructor, Ms Stefanie Leong, whom we call Steffi. To us, she is more than a teacher – she is a friend who helps us to become better dancers, better people.

Every week, we make it a point to clean the studios so that our dancing environment remains healthy and clean. The afternoon starts with warm-ups and stretches, where it’s always funny to watch the boys attempt splits. Some days, Physical Training is also thrown in for core and strength conditioning. We then drill basic moves or refresh recent choreographies that we’ve learnt for upcoming events. When events are nearing, we usually spend more time on cleaning our choreography and building up chemistry among the dancers. In recent years, we have expanded the genres of dance from urban hip-hop to lyrical dance, old school hip-hop, contemporary dance, and even house!

We are involved in a number of events annually, namely school performances such as National Day and Teacher’s Day. To round up the year for the graduating batches, we also have a showcase or concert that varies from batch to batch (that you can read about here). Internally, these events help us give back to the school community. Recently, we have also participated in an island-wide dance competition, Super 24 (you can watch this year’s performance here). The aim was not to win, but to expose ourselves to the Singaporean dance scene where we learned how big the dance world actually is. Being passionate and avid dancers, we also often engage in activities outside of CCA time. We go for open dance classes together, share choreographies with one another, and some of us often freestyle and battle one another. Whenever you visit the mirrors, you’ll be sure to see some of us just having fun dancing!

Dance, to all of us, is something very emotional. During training sessions, dancers honestly feel a wide spectrum of different things, with each practice offering a completely different experience. Most of the time, the studio is transformed by the chemistry of the dancers, as we feel each other through the dance and dance as one crew. To us, dance is a form of escape – taking our minds off the troubles of the day and helping to refocus our energies. On bad days, however, mistakes do happen and there are times when we end up exhausted and drained. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, our instructor and teachers are always there for us, and so are we in supporting each other. It is through the good and bad that we truly grow as dancers, as individuals and as a family.

With a mix of members from from different dance backgrounds, some completely new altogether, you’d expect there to be segregations in our CCA. We did indeed start out on different levels, but through the various shared experiences – from simple dinners to competitions and performances – we have worked our way to becoming a united team today.

What Street has taught us is that dance is not the be all and end all. Dance is about the important values of friendship, humility, acceptance, willingness to learn, and the determination and perseverance that is integral in life. Ultimately RSD is not just a CCA, it’s a family of dancers.

This is the life of a Streeter. If you feel this is what you want, see you at our auditions and come join our family! :)

This article is part of the CCA Previews for 2016.

By Tan Yu Bin (16S03O), Chairperson; Tan Klynn (16A01D), Vice-chairperson; Toon Min Li (16S03J), Secretary; Samantha Rabino (16S07A) Treasurer; Cindy Chen (16S07D), Welfare/Wardrobe IC; Nicole Yap (16A01E)

A pale shaft of light falls forlornly across the floorboards. All is quiet in the mini LT. Waiting, the tables sit silently in their rows of ten. It is then that the glass doors burst forth suddenly, a sharp push revealing dancers clad in their attire, their bright peals of laughter livening up the room. A tornado of efficiency soon sweeps across the mirrored space, the dancers quickly settling into the routine of stacking the chairs and tables up and away. After all, they are dancers, and the space that they use should be respected. After doing a quick mop of the studio, the mini LT turns from a dusty day classroom into a respectable dance studio.

The dancers settle down to start on (the dreaded) physical training. Physical training? Of course! Dancing requires strength in addition to flexibility. Weekly training exercises help build up the important muscle groups needed to perform the effortless looking jumps and turns on stage. That grace does not come easily is little known; hours of strength, flexibility and endurance training behind the scenes are often overlooked. As the saying goes, 台下十年工，台上十分钟. Despite this the tight community of friendship that the dancers have formed tide them over their strenuous training, with heartening cries of “10 SECONDS MORE!” and “KEEP YOUR BACKS UP!” that push the dancers to overcome their limits time and time again.

Exercises to roll out their nimble limbs and to stretch out tight muscles are next. These standard exercises help in stretching even the trickiest muscles (that you never knew you had!), ensuring that none of them strain or snap under pressure. Dance requires quick thinking and fast reactions (think performing a piano piece backwards! That’s everything left-side and in reverse, sometimes cheekily thrown immediately after learning an exercise for the right side). Training the art of weight-shifting particularly helps protect the dancers from any sudden falls. (This is much harder than it sounds!) Dancers are intimately familiar with their bodies, knowing at once where and how to locate the area where strength is required to be channelled from. The slightest shift can drastically affect the power and alignment of a move, for example, the impressive kicks you might see on stage.

After finishing this foundational and essential training, the dancers move on to performance training by learning new choreography. There is an immense sense of camaraderie as all the dancers from different backgrounds collaborate together to form one creation, usually in preparation for a school event such as Open House, National Day or Teachers’ Day. Under the guidance of our instructor, Ms Low Mei Yoke, something conjured in the dancers’ mind slowly becomes a concrete creation that everyone is proud of and happy to dance in. However, during a SYF year, the dancers put their complete trust in the direction of Ms Low to choreograph an outstanding piece that is innovative and challenging for the dancers.

Though the choreography has taken full form, the work starts when the choreography ends as the dancers need to begin cleaning up or “diao-ing” movements so that everyone moves in precise synchronisation with the same energy. This tedious but necessary process not only elevates the quality of the dance, but also gives opportunities for peer evaluation through constructive criticism given by fellow dancers. This certainly helps build a close community that builds on each others’ strengths while improving on each others’ weaknesses.

Dance encapsulates and reflects the emotions, confidence and creativity of dancers. It is an art form well-embraced by all and is not limited to the more feminine gender. We encourage males to give themselves the opportunity to explore their limits and hopefully, be infected by the joy that dance brings. Guys would definitely add a new dynamic to the CCA. Venturing through this journey with Raffles Modern Dance will not always be smooth-sailing, but we can assure you that the benefits to yourself and the team would be gratifying. We warmly welcome you to join our family!

This article is part of the CCA Previews for 2016.

By Maanasa Sri Ganesh (16S06Q), Chairperson, and Huang Jiawen (16S06G), Vice-Chairperson

Raffles Indian Dance, or RI Idance for short, is a performing arts CCA dedicated to promoting Indian Dance and inculcating in our members a love for dance. We aim to provide a platform for all members to grow as dancers and freely express themselves through dance. For years, RI Idancers have been a closely-knit bunch, and we hold our members’ interests close to our hearts. Even as we seek perfectionism and take on ever more difficult dance routines, we leave no one behind, and newer members are often patiently guided through the choreography by their amiable seniors.

“In the beginning of the year, I was quite worried about my performance during CCA sessions as I had no prior experience in Indian Dance, but my seniors’ encouragement and guidance really helped me to become more confident and passionate about dance.”

– Huang Jiawen

Many may think that Indian Dance CCAs only dabble in traditional Indian Dance items. This, however, cannot be further from the truth. We love to explore different genres and styles of the fascinating art form. We are given room to experiment with genres ranging from the timeless and classical bharathanatyam (traditional Indian Dance) to the fiery and sassy Bollywood. You will definitely be able to pick up some signature Bollywood moves and improve your knowledge of exotic Indian folk music and popular Bollywood songs from CCA sessions!

Indian Dance meets twice a week on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. However, nearing performances, practices may be longer and increase to three times a week. Throughout the year, we will have numerous opportunities to perform in events including but not limited to the biennale Singapore Youth Festival (SYF), Sangamam (the annual concert by Indian Cultural Society) and major school events such as National Day Celebrations. Last year, Indian Dance managed to attain a Distinction award in SYF 2015. Our CCA sessions include drills in basic Indian Dance techniques, physical training as well as the learning and practicing of dance choreography. Members will also have the opportunity to choreograph items for non-SYF performances, and this enables us to gain deeper insights into the various dance styles.

We firmly believe that dance is a collaborative effort that unifies individuals of diverse personalities and backgrounds. As a dance item comes to completion, meaningful bonds are forged along the way, and time and time again we witness the growth of our members as dancers and individuals. For our dancers who are not trained in Indian Dance, learning a new dance form had certainly not been an easy feat. Nonetheless, they can always turn to their CCA mates for support and encouragement, and everyone can learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it is not essential to have prior experience in Indian Dance or dance background to join our CCA! What’s most important is a willingness to learn and a strong interest in dance.

If you love dancing and are eager to try out a new and exotic dance form, then give Indian Dance a try! We look forward to welcoming you to the Raffles Indian Dance family :)

This article is part of the CCA Previews for 2016.

By John Chew Geronimo Jr (16A01E), Chairperson; Konstanze Tan Wan Yu (16S03A), Vice-chairperson; Kok Feng Rui, Danson (16S05A), Quartermaster; Jin Minjia (16S06K), Secretary

“Jazz is smooth and cool. Jazz is rage. Jazz flows like water. Jazz never seems to begin or end. Jazz isn’t methodical, but Jazz isn’t messy either. Jazz is a conversation, a give and take. Jazz is the connection and communication between musicians. Jazz is abandon.”- Nat Wolff

As suggested by the quote, Jazz is a social and communicative art form. The average day in the life of a Jazzer is thus a day of conversation, be it through verbal or musical means, within the vibrant yet cosy family that is Raffles Jazz.

The Jazzers are a close-knit community of musicians, passionate about their craft, and even more passionate about constantly honing their music through jam sessions. Jazz requires a balance between individuality and togetherness, as the music not only needs to be played cohesively as a band, but should also possess a personal stylistic contribution through improvisation. To help strike such a balance, our time in Jazz involves constant self-evaluation and improvement, which can take the form of various jazz recordings as a CCA or even personal “woodshedding”. We also have help from external instructors, all of whom are established musicians in the local jazz scene. Each instructor of the respective sections (vocalists, soloists, bassists, guitarists, drummers, keyboardists) offers a host of experience in playing various styles and forms of music and valuable insights into playing in the world of the professional musician. Paired with the encouragement and sharing of knowledge by fellow Jazzers, this conducive environment definitely helps everyone in the CCA to grow and become vastly better musicians than ever before.

Far from being “whiplashesque”, Raffles Jazz has always been an environment that encourages collective excellence, not merely personal success. This means we make a conscious effort to elevate every single member of the CCA, despite their respective experience and skill levels. We make sure that everyone has a comfortable personal command of their instrument and basic understanding of their role in the band. Chemistry amongst band members is key in Jazz, and upon honing our personal skills on our instruments, we focus on the ability to listen to each other and create together on the fly. As such, the focus of band practice sessions also encompasses interpersonal elements which allow for a deeper level of communication to occur. Such band practice sessions are usually held on Wednesdays from 2.30pm-4.30pm in the Jamming Studios, during which we jam not only classic jazz standards, but also sloppy funk grooves and tear-jerking blues tunes. However, the frequency of these sessions increases in the lead-up to gigs that Jazz takes up, in addition to the annual concert that usually happens around April/May.

The annual concert is the moment we are given the opportunity to present what we have been working on to the school population. Raffles Jazz has also been engaged in various gigs including The Humanities Initiative (THI), which saw us busking along the busy Orchard Road shopping belt, as well as school functions including the National Day concert, when members swung some national day favourites. We were also invited to perform at the Music Salon for members of the public who enjoyed listening to jazz. In 2015, Jazz also had the privilege of collaborating with the Photography Club to provide ambience and an enriched audio-dimension to the visual treats during the exhibition.

As a sagely senior once said: “Learning jazz is like learning a new language”- indeed, in all its audible beauty, Jazz has its own subtle, intangible nuances that can be challenging to pick up. If you still aren’t sure if you’re prepared for the experience or if Jazz is really going to be your cup of tea, fret not: a pre-audition workshop will be held prior to CCA auditions during the week of 18th-22nd Jan as a taster for the genre of Jazz, featuring a speaker’s session and a live demonstration of the audition songs. Prospective members of Raffles Jazz will then have to undergo an audition and an interview. Sounds intimidating? Perhaps so, but the love of music prevails. Passion is imperative, simply because passion produces the perseverance that transforms bizarre chords into interesting ones and freakish rhythms into endlessly fun ones.

In the words of the great jazz bassist Charles Haden: “As long as there are musicians who have a passion for spontaneity, for creating something that’s never been before, the art form of jazz will flourish.” See you in the Jamming Studios!

This article is part of the CCA Previews for 2016.

By Ming Zee (16A01A), Chairperson, and Adriel (16S06K), Vice-Chairperson

Bedroom guitarist? Breakout singer? Baroque keyboardist? Fret not, because Raffles Rock is here! Take to the stage and express your creativity and enthusiasm – in jamming, gigging, and just plain rockin’ out. Our hugest event – ROCKOUT – is an annual concert @Scape, with three solid hours of sound, setlists and strobelights dedicated to our bands. Aside from that, you’ll be given the choice of a wide array of gigs – both internal (Open House, National Day Parade, Charity Events) and external (Hood Café & Bar, Hard Rock Café, NJC Rock Night), self-sourced and externally invited.

But it isn’t all glitz and glamour. So what’s it like behind the scenes, in our quaint, homely and – most importantly – soundproof studio?

A regular day starts at 4.30pm, with members milling into the studio and flopping onto beanbags; it’s our respite from the daily grind of schoolwork. Guitars screech, mics fuzz, people trip over wires…until we cobble something together and start jamming. But what songs do we jam? For the start of the year, we’ll focus on prepping for Rockout. Past that, every batch chooses their own direction – so you could write songs, record covers, improvise, or go gigging! Everyone will have different musical preferences – from death metal to cantopop – so you’ll definitely learn more about the genres your bandmates like.

Halfway through a song our eccentric external instructor will pop by, most likely in a Superhero tee and badly matching pants. Founder of Thunder Rock School, trained as a vocalist but with many other talents, Ian helps us get our songs together for upcoming performances. You’ll decide on what songs to play, but he’ll give you tips on band cohesion, instrumentation, tightness and stage presence. Occasionally, a J3 (fresh into NS) or a J5 (fresh out of NS) senior will pop by – which just goes to show how strong the Rock family bonds are.

Our official CCA day is Tuesday, informal day Thursday – but during peak periods before performances, we practice up to 4 times a week! Other than that, life in Rock is relaxed. Sometimes, we just sit down and jam random stuff when we don’t have upcoming performances – a great time to bond. In Rock, you’ll have to work closely with your bandmates in order to put up a great show. Everyone plays a key role in our songs – and since Rock is a small CCA (10-12 members per batch), you’ll definitely get to know one another well! CCA formally ends at 1900, but we tend to overshoot both our studio time, and the time we spend with each other. We have numerous batch dinners, watch concerts, occasional sleepovers, banter, go to the gym and visit guitar shops together…the list goes on! Even Ian is a chill guy to have a good laugh with.

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But how do you get into Rock? Just sign up for our auditions – where you’ll play whatever you like for Ian, Mrs Teo (our Teacher IC) and a couple of Rock members. You can play your instrument by itself, jam along to backing tracks, or audition as a band. We’ll ask you some questions to get to know you better – don’t worry, there are no wrong answers; you don’t even have to play a rock song during your audition! In general, we take in 2 vocalists, 2-4 guitarists, 2 drummers, 2 keyboardists and 2 bassists.

A great opportunity to get to know what Rock is like is to take part in Music Feste, which you’ll learn about when term starts. You’ll be playing in a band with your fellow house mates, and you might get to know your J2 rock seniors, as well as fellow batchmates in Rock!

There are countless differences between playing to a backing track at home and performing live. So if you’re someone who’d like to put up a good show, see the audience go mad, and have crazy fun – then Rock is for you! But even if you aren’t, just come anyways – we guarantee you’ll have a blast of a time.

Please contact rock.raffles@gmail.com if you have any inquiries. Also, do check out our Twitter (@rafflesrock), Instagram (rafflesrock), and Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/RafflesRock14).