SHENYANG, BEIJING LIAONING BALLET OF CHINA & BEIJING DANCE ACADEMY
3 cheers to all at Dancepointe Academy (DPA)! First half of the year had passed quickly and we all had grasped wonderful moments and experiences through the journey of dance education at DPA. Let us share in this E-News all the commonly asked questions on the benefits of dance as well as the events that enhanced their learning and dance portfolio.
Q: Are dance examinations such as RAD important to a child?"
A: Annual exams are important in all academic studies, and no it's no different for sports. DPA teachers work hard at unleashing each student's potential in dance and with parental support, this could be achieved efficiently! International recognized dance certifications such as RAD & CSTD allow you to build a dance portfolio together with all other participation of events such as RAD/CSTD summer school, jazz courses, Apprentice competition teams and Bi-annual DPA performances. This dance portfolio adds on to the child's academic achievements and allows the child to have a differentiated skill set from others. The child could explore this well built-up skill set as a career such as a professional Dancer both internationally and locally, dance educator in government schools and dance teachers in private dance schools. The portfolio is also needed for the Direct School Admission for the secondary schools at PSLE level.
Our students who have graduated are now dancing at Singapore Dance Theatre, dance educator at School of The Arts and teaching in MOE Dance CCA and private dance schools such as DPA. With the support from Government and National Arts Council, the dance industry is growing and in need of such talents.
Q: “What is the value of taking an exam vs progressing up through the grades without being assessed?”
A: “The journey experienced when working towards a dance examination provides important life skills. It’s not only about dance: the process enhances discipline, time management, dedication, determination and confidence to name a few. The performance in the examination provides satisfaction, enjoyment, pride and feedback to assist the students’ progression to full potential.” #RADExams
Source: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalAcademyofDance
Q: What are some of the pointers we should look out for in exams?
A: Confidence
exams are scary but confidence is the key to putting on a good show. When you are assured of yourself, everyone can see it and you will shine more than you know; bringing us to our next point
Performance
dancing is all about performing, be it in the studio, in school, on stage and even in the exam room. When you communicate with your audience, you bring them into your dance and that's when the magic of performing happens. Don't forget to smile!
Posture
of course, your stance is what first draws the eyes of the examiner. When you are aware of your body stance, not only do you perform better, you are also less likely to injure yourself when executing steps. Try to pay attention to what your teacher is correcting you on I.e. Ribs in, arch back, arm placement, bent knees, turn out, rolling feet, etc.
Ballet is all about creating beautiful lines.
Foot work
you've probably heard our teachers telling the students a hundred times over, "point your toes!", but it's not just about pointing their feet, it's also about the placement on the floor and in the air. The examiner should be able to see what steps you are doing without reference, not muddled into one step.
Flexibility & Control
being able to do a 180 degrees stretch is definitely an achievement; while the syllabus does not require one lift their legs up all the time, we encourage our students to stretch as it helps with the more advanced grades. Some steps have a minimum height requirement and this is when flexibility is an advantage.
Recall
last but not least, recollection of steps. While it is not the most important, it is definitely a confidence boost. Knowing what the examiner already wants to see allows one to work on the technique, so do go through your steps at home!
DANCEPOINTE ACADEMY'S Q1&Q2 EVENTS!
Parent & Child Excursion to Singapore Dance Theatre
17th March 2016 – An educational excursion by DPA as we explored what goes on behind the scenes of a grand production by our renowned Singapore Dance Theatre; Singapore’s premiere professional dance company since 1988.
Our students was mesmerized when meeting the SDT dancers in personal and together they watched the rehearsals for Don Quixote!
Shenyang, Beijing Dance Immersion Programme for Apprentice Competition Teams
11th - 20th June 2016 - Immeasurable experience for TEAMdpa 2016 at China Immersion and Showcase! The Performance and Competition Team consisting of our Apprentice and dTEAM dancers immersed themselves in the rich culture of China as we visited Liaoning Ballet of China (Shenyang) and Beijing Dance Academy; World top dance companies. The five days of learning at Liaoning Ballet ended off with a showcase of their dance choreographies as well as their full time studies displaying popular classical ballet variations and contemporary pieces.
The group of 48 parents, students and teachers ended the Immersion with a tour of Beijing historical places such as the Forbidden City and Great Wall of China. In addition, the spectacular Acrobatic Show at Chaoyang Theatre blew them off!
RAD & CSTD Summer Schools and Performances
RAD 6th - 11th June 2016
The 5 days RAD Summer School ended off with a spectacular showcase performance at ACJC auditorium, in celebration of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday. Students from 5 locations of Dancepointe Academy Singapore ranging from Pre-primary to Grade 6 were exposed to Classical Ballet, and other genres such as Character Dance, Creative Dance and Musical Theatre!
CSTD 20th - 24th June 2016
Presenting the winners for CSTD Elite Talent Academy 2016! We are happy that students of DPA have completed the 4 days summer school with a grand performance at SCGS auditorium. Congratulations to your achievements!
6-9 years old, DPA @ Bishan:
Winner of 2017 Elite Talent Academy - Raphael Leo
Gold (Runner-Up) - Adeline Chan
Silver - Anya Aw, Reena Reghuraman
6-9 years old, DPA @ Jcube:
Winner of 2017 Elite Talent Academy - Niya Koh
Gold (Joint Runner-Ups) - Rhea Cheema, Darryn Yew
Silver - Ethan Lee
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2016
More details will be provided as the date draws closer but here is what will be happening!
Célèbration in Dance by SDT & RAD
For the first time, Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) & Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) collaborated to stage an evening of dances, themed “Celebration in Dance” on 21st August 2016, at The Esplanade Theatre.
Dancepointe Academy, among with eight other RAD Schools, has been selected to present our Europe Dance Grand Prix 2015 award winning performance item (choreographed by Mr Dan Kwoh) alongside SDT in this Gala Evening.
Support us for this performance and purchase your tickets via the SISTIC outlets!
See you and join us in this CELEBRATION!
Parent - Child Excursion to Esplanade Theatre
Event: "The Nutcracker" by Singapore Dance Theatre
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Date: 8th December 2016 (Thursday)
Open to: Students six(6) years and above + ONE (1) parent
Miscellaneous: Competitions and prizes have been organised!
Dinner will be provided.
Image taken from https://chingay.org.sg
Chingay Festival 2017 - 10th &11th Feb
Dancepointe Academy has been invited to be part of the 2017 Chingay Parade at F1 Pit Building and we are excited to extend this participation to our Dancepointe and dACADEMY students! (From Grade 5 level & above). The DPA segment will be choreographed by dACADEMY’s Artistic Director, Mr Dan Kwoh.
The Chingay Parade is a National Event, and is also the largest street performance and float parade in Asia. It is a uniquely Singaporean Lunar New Year tradition, and this national street parade is now celebrated by the various ethnic groups in Singapore
Watch us dancing on the FLOAT via television broadcast!
Audition poster from 2016
APPRENTICE PROGRAMME 2017 Audition
Didn't get a chance to join the Apprentice Competition and Performance Team this year? No worries, we have an audition lined up for TEAMdpa 2017!! Dates will be released soon
(tentatively on 26th & 27th November 2016).
Look out for the confirmation via our Facebook and Instagram!
Have you liked our Facebook or subscribed to DPA YouTube and Instagram to be informed of our photos and videos?