Center Stage

When did dance become a part of your life?
At the age of 13. Because of dance, I developed a lot of valuable life skills like being consistent with my hard work and perseverance, even in the face of rejection. Dance shaped me and my life: I learnt to see things with a balance of practicality and love. It has helped me challenge and conquer my fears, stand up for what is right and wrong, as well as to see things with compassion. Most importantly, dance is the very reason why I’ve learnt to have belief and confidence in myself. If there is no dance in my life, there is no meaning.

As a dancer, what’s a common stereotype you hear from people that you’d like to debunk?
That all dancers are supposed to be and look aesthetically fit, muscular, and skinny. It angers me to hear and see people say things like “If this person dances so much, why are they still fat?” Everyone comes from different health backgrounds and not all of us have high metabolism; some of us battle sicknesses and more. That’s not for us to judge or pass any statement.

Run us through a day in your life—what does it usually look like?
On busy days, my day can start as early as 6AM.
Mornings: Teaching CCA in schools or having rehearsals and then going for castings
Afternoon: Teaching CCA again for a few hours till early evening
Evening: Rehearsals again or self training till 10 or 11PM

What was the last thing you changed your mind on?
Wearing slides/sliders. I used to think they were the ugliest pair of slippers, only to realise how beneficial they were for my feet after a long day of travelling around Singapore.

If you could live in someone else’s shoes for a week, who would you choose and why?
If I had to choose, then it would either be a nurse or a caretaker for a physically and/or mentally handicapped child. I’ve witnessed how these people happen to be the most selfless individuals, who have the capacity to care for someone other than their own family and friends. A week in their shoes can teach me a thing or two about learning to better understand special needs persons and how to provide better palliative care for anyone in their final days.

What’s something you wish you learnt in school?
Geography, History and Literature. I was an EM3 and Normal Technical student—back then, we weren’t given the choice to pick the subjects we’d like to learn. Even till this day, matters and events revolving around the three topics I’ve mentioned always intrigue me and lead me to do my own research.