3 students' dance initiative pirouettes into a showcase of over 160 dancers from 8 JCs
The TL;DR: National Junior College students Erin Pok, Derica Yeo and Averyl Faith Chua started a self-initiated dance showcase for JC students. This August, over 160 students from eight JCs will dance the night away onstage at Our Tampines Hub.
National JC students Derica Yeo, Erin Pok and Averyl Faith Chua (from left) have been working with venues, sponsors and the dancers to coordinate the showcase.
When Erin Pok, 17, the president of National Junior College's Western Dance club, was told two of their school performances would be cancelled so they could focus on preparing for a national competition, she started searching for other venues to perform in.
But what started as a showcase for her co-curricular activity (CCA) turned into the Junior College Dance Collective (JCDC), a combined event by more than 160 dancers from eight JC dance CCAs. This is the first student-initiated dance event for the JC dance crowd, they said.
On Aug 24, they will shake the stage at Our Tampines Hub's Festive Plaza, showing off their contemporary, hip hop and street jazz moves.
Since March, Erin and her schoolmates, Derica Yeo and Averyl Faith Chua, also 17, organised the JCDC event. The JC1 students took care of everything from planning to publicity.
'Erin wanted to make this big, really go all out and make it the best it can be,' said Averyl, Erin's classmate, who pitched the event to media outlets.
Dancers from National JC's Western Dance club pose in dark camouflage-themed outfits for their hip hop performance.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ERIN POK
Dancing to their own beat
The idea to rope in other pre-university dance CCAs for an informal event came about because JC groups lack time to compete in tertiary-level dance competitions, unlike polytechnic and university clubs, Erin said.
They sent out 25 invites to pre-university dance groups, hoping to have at least 10 clubs perform. At first, they struggled to hit their target as they faced rejections and non-replies.
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After they received 15 confirmations, they were hit with last-minute pullouts and had to rearrange their programme.
Without any funding, the team asked friends to take pictures, film videos and design a digital banner as favours. They also sent over 100 e-mails to potential sponsors who could provide meals for the dancers.
At the start, the schoolmates doubted they could make the showcase happen. But their faith in each other pulled them through.
Averyl said: 'Seeing the whole thing from behind the scenes and being part of it in our own way is very special to me.'
Derica, NJC Western Dance's dance captain, added that now was the time to 'play hard' before their A-level preparations kick in. 'It's the year to start initiatives and go all out, because there's no time for it next year.'
At an open space in Singapore Management University, NJC Western Dance members rehearse an energetic dance routine.
ST PHOTO: ALEXA DENISE UY
Getting in a groove
Over the June holidays, dancers involved in JCDC met up two or three times a week to choreograph and perfect their dance routines – sometimes starting as early as 8am.
The members have varying levels of ability and experience, with some just starting out and others having learnt ballet as young as two years old.
NJC Western Dance member Lynette Chua, 17, showed up , armed with a tube of pain relief gel, despite injuring both her calves the previous week. She said the club rehearses before classes at 7:30am every day.
For many dancers, such as 17-year-old Hayley Ler and Victoria Lim from St Andrew's Dance Society, the JCDC showcase gave them the chance to come up with the choreography without the help of a coach.
'I can see our dancers are all working very hard. I hope it is reflected on stage, and it will turn out to be something we'd be proud of,' said Victoria.
St Andrew's Junior College students from Dance Society perform a contemporary dance piece onstage in flowy dresses.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SAJC DANCE SOCIETY
But even experienced choreographers from RE:VOLUTION, a street dance CCA that is not representing their school at this event, have gone all out to train for the performance.
Dance vice-captain Koh Yu Xiang, 17, initially thought preparing for the show would be 'mission impossible', as they had another performance to prepare for within a month, but the dancers pushed through anyway.
Zhang Zhirou, 17, president of RE:VOLUTION, said the dancers have grown closer since they started training. 'When we have a common goal, the dancers are able to come together to work towards something,' she said.
Dancers from JC dance group RE:VOLUTION don red and black for a street dance showcase.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RE:VOLUTION
In the spotlight
The organisers hope the performance will be passed on to dancers in 2026, or even become a yearly official inter-JC event.
Their wish for the concert is to inspire a love of dance. Averyl said: 'I want it to be something the dancers will hold specially to their heart, and even non-dancers will be wowed by this performance.'
Looking back on the efforts the team undertook to put the show together, Erin said: 'I hope the dancers see that you need to fight to make things happen.
'(The dancers) took a chance on us, and I hope they gain memories out of it.'
The show will take place on Aug 24 from 6pm to 7.30pm at Our Tampines Hub's Festive Plaza.
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