Lessons From The Dancefloor

By Diyanah Syafiqah

When KPOP first started gaining popularity in Singapore, Jun Jie or known as Jay to his friends, recalled being blown away by Teen Top and their synchronised dance moves after watching their YouTube video. It sparked an interest in him to watch other dance genre videos like breakdance and hip-hop too. It wasn't long before he started mimicking these dance moves.

From an adolescent who used to dance in the comfort of his four bedroom walls, Jay, President of Dreamwerkz, SIM's own Street Dance club, now dances alongside his teammates on larger stages to audiences.  More than just a passion, dance has also taught him many important life lessons.


Dreamwerkz at Super 24 Competition 2018 - one of the largest dance showcase competitions in Singapore.

#Seize Every Opportunity
With the support of SIM Student Development Office (SDEV), our team had plenty of opportunities to participate in various competitions - even those that the team uncovered through our own sources such as South Park Jam, a hip hop dance event for youths. The team also greatly benefitted from subsidies from SDEV to join the competition.

Such opportunities are vital as it pushes us dancers to further foray into the dance scene.  They foster teamwork and are great exposures for dancers who are new and have little experience in performing in front of large crowds. These opportunities grew us as individuals and as a team in ways that we never thought were possible.


Doing mid-flips at Esplanade's Festival Performance - ‘In Youthful Company'.

#Never Give Up
I recall an event were we were supposed to perform at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre on short notice. We had little time to look for available dancers and to conjure a solid choreography.

We weren't on par with our regular standards and our morale was low. I was on the brink of giving up and I had thoughts of pulling out of the event.

The turning point came two days before our performance when our dance instructors, Bryan and Hua helped us with the choreography. With their help and encouragement, we spent the next two nights burning the midnight oil rehearsing and we pulled through it.

Even though it wasn't our best showcase, I was relieved. It taught me to never give up because where there's a will, there'll always be a way.


Dreamwerkz Production 2018 - titled ‘Expectations Vs Reality'

#Enjoy The Present
Dance is all about showing your love for it through your movements and it'll only shine through if you're not fixated on your dance steps, but instead, take the time to enjoy the performance.

After one of our performances, Hua remarked that the team was looking down a lot because we were focused on our choreography steps. To overcome this, she advised us to let loose and move according to how the music was making us feel.

I felt better after taking her advice. Even though I know I had missed some steps, I was enjoying myself and it showed. It reminded me to be wholly present, enjoy the little moments in life, and to simply be myself!


Introducing new members to older ones at Dance Camp 2018.

#Teamwork Makes The Dreamwerk(z)
This stemmed from a cheer we did at the Super 24 competition. I'd like to believe that it became our motto afterwards.

As humans, we're social creatures but we are prone to forming cliques. Then there are the introverts who can be daunted by the thought of performing in front of an audience. But being in Dreamwerkz means that we're now a team. We're no longer dancing for ourselves.

To progress as a team, all of us have to put aside such thoughts and push ourselves and each other to give our best.

At the end of the day, good things will only happen if we're all on the same page.

Like Jay, there can be many benefits as to why you should join an interest group in SIM GE. Watch SIM Originals - 5 Reasons Why You Should Join A CCA.