Interviewee: Gisele
What is an average CCA session like?
Gisele: It’s really fun despite it being challenging. The people in my CCA are also very friendly.
- What made you decide to join your current CCA?
Gisele: I love and am very passionate about dance!
- What do you enjoy most about your CCA?
Gisele: DANCING! and my friends & instructors make me feel even happier during the sessions.
What is one essential quality as person must possess to join this CCA?
Gisele: People who love to challenge themselves even if they cannot really dance because passion and attitude is the most important in dance. Determination as well! As long as you’re interested in dancing & willing to learn!
CCA information (Timing, achievements, etc)
Tuesday- 5.00 – 8.00pm
Wednesday – 6.00 – 8.00pm
DISTINCTION (SYF 2017)
Not forgetting a significant milestone for Dance, their concert which happened on the 19th of May, where the Indoor Sports Hall was transformed into a performance space for the first ever dance concert, Momento, Chapter 1 – The First Breath.
The first piece was their SYF piece, City in Shroud, for which they clinched a Distinction. Choreographed by their dance instructor, Mr Dan Kwoh, the piece was about climate crisis and used dance as their media form to inspire change. As the pioneering batch of dancers, they soldiered on this intense road and managed to emerge victorious. With the upbeat rhythm and sharp movement, the dancers put their heart and soul to tell the story and really send across their response to this pressing global concern through his unique form.
The next piece was performed by the J1, Metanoia. The piece was about self-improvement and shows their hopes and dreams for EJ dance. It proved that they could rise above through obstacles through the adventure of their lives and can emerge triumphant. This piece was a perfect representation of modern pop culture and with their beaming faces, we could tell that they were really enjoying themselves through this dance.
The next piece, entitled Cloud 9, was a piece by the J2s. It portrayed the spirit of EJ dance and the cohesiveness as one dance family. The message was even though the hustle and bustle of life we should not forget the joy, liberation and euphoria in the little things. Wong Zann Yee from 17-O1 attended the dance concert and she really enjoyed the atmosphere of passion and love that all the dancers had, and the joy they brought to the audience through their dancing.
The crowd favourite was the choreography to the well-known song, The Greatest Showman, where it was an uplifting performance and garnered loud cheers from the audience. Amelia Quek from 18-E6, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed the greatest showman choreography and how the dancers were all smiling and really enjoying the dance, which made the audience feel really hyped too. You can really tell how hard they worked from the tight choreography.”
Following that, was a urban piece choreographed by Zhi Neng, Silence. The message put across was the isolation by everyone and the conflicts we all face, such as adults trying to make ends meet and students having high expectations of themselves, but no one is really ever alone. Through this dance, the frustrations and internal conflict is portrayed along with the comradery and collectiveness of individuals coming together as one.
Next, Rise Up, a lyrical piece was performed by the J2s, displaying the amount of details and painstaking work put into the dance. It portrays a journey of the J2 dancers who have risen up against the odds and forged a path for the dance team. They bore the unspoken responsibilities of pioneers and had to remain resilient in trying times. This piece encapsulates their dream and embodiment of what what they want to pass on to juniors. Albeit uncertainties and difficulties, without obstacles, they would not know their own strengths and the power as a team and come together and rise above.
The finale piece entitled Bienvenue a Eunoia, was the piece they performed during College Grand Opening. The dancers were dressed as waiters and chefs, decked in crisp uniforms.
All in all, the quick costume changes was impressive and the ability to transform the mundane indoor sports hall to a venue with well-studded lights, well-decorated chairs and mats and fairylights, was truly amazing.
“Everything was confusing, almost foreign as most of us had never even met each other before, much less train or really just dance together. It was filled with trepidation, filled with laughter, sadness, anger and generally exhaustion and long days with the constant complaining for the performance to be over, which when it did end, let us realise we craved the thing we all so seemingly disliked. As a new batch/full crew of dancers we didn’t much know our strengths just yet and we often had trouble deciding/agreeing on actions to be taken like costumes buying. Communication at first was reserved and not very fluent between people but we managed to quickly form something beautiful as a batch and grew close together. The final full-dress rehearsal was my most satisfying moment. When I managed to see the entire crew come together and make something out of near nothing, realising we’ve really come far despite being so new, and that all our fears really didn’t matter that much in the end as long as we danced not just for ourselves, but each and every single person on that stage.”
~Bing Hong, EJ Dancer~
The Origin* 