My experience as a Dance student
Sophie Ter Wenxin
Dance, Year 3 | 18 March 2022
I first heard about SOTA from my parents. While they are Singaporeans, I was born and lived overseas my entire life. They wanted me to start secondary school in Singapore, and when they introduced me to SOTA, I could not help but feel fascinated. The idea of a school that merged academics with the arts surprised me as I had never thought that possible – I was used to rushing off to external dance classes straight after school. I was deeply intrigued, and since I love dancing, I decided to give it a shot.
Now that I have been in this school for two years, I do not regret my decision. I love how SOTA has a close-knitted community where everyone is approachable and friendly! Surrounded by amazingly-talented friends who share a common passion for the arts, I now have a sense of belonging, like that of a second home, here at SOTA. In addition, having a casual and warm teacher-student relationship is a norm, so the classroom always feels like a safe space where our teachers genuinely care for us.
Other than the teachers, another reason I enjoy having lessons at SOTA is that we have interesting and interactive ways of learning. Sometimes we draw mind maps and prepare presentation slides, and other times we play online quizzes such as Kahoot! The different activities make lessons more engaging while helping us students grasp concepts better. Moreover, our academic projects often integrate our artforms. Whether our work is in the form of an infographic, poem, music piece, or even a dance item does not matter – it is all about creativity! I enjoy these projects as we are given the freedom to explore subjects from artistic perspectives.
However, people usually get the wrong idea that the arts are more important than academics at SOTA. As we follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) syllabus, we learn all of the usual academic subjects on top of our artforms. Therefore, we are not obliged to pursue an arts career after we graduate. As the school provides an all-rounded education, we have a wide range of choices for our future paths, including both arts-related and non-arts-related careers!
One example of an interesting academic subject at SOTA is ELCT – English Language and Critical Thinking. We are exposed to societal issues such as racism, sexism and animal cruelty. I found this subject eye-opening as it has changed the way I view the world and society at large. I had never explored these issues in such depth before learning about them at SOTA, and now I feel enlightened and empowered to do my part to create a more inclusive society.
As for my artform, Dance, it has always been my passion as it makes me feel happy and free. Moving to music brings me joy, and to me, dancing almost feels like flying. My artform not only helps me let go of tension when I feel stressed and boosts my spirits, but also teaches me perseverance. The challenges I face throughout my dance journey not only strengthen me physically, but also mentally.
Moreover, at SOTA, I have learned a lot more about my artform than I could have ever imagined! This includes the history of dance, injury prevention, dance wellness, anatomy, breathing, and neutral alignment among others. It enables me to focus on my artform with more purpose and meaning, so I am very grateful for this enriching arts education.
A typical day at SOTA is long, and even longer for dancers as we have dance extension classes. On average, for a Year 3 dancer, we stay in school until around 6pm. Despite the long hours, I look forward to going to school because time passes by quickly when you are having fun!
However, the long hours lead to one major challenge faced by many SOTA students – time management. A demanding workload, coupled with long hours in school, makes it crucial for one to stay organised in order to complete assignments on time. Everyone has a different way of learning, and during my time at SOTA, I have discovered what works best for me. Thanks to my packed schedule, I have now become more self-disciplined and productive, and have also cultivated the good habit of planning ahead.
In the future, I would like to work in an area that can integrate my two interests – dance and literary arts. After learning more about prominent dance figures who helped shape dance history, I am inspired to explore ways to further push the boundaries of the artform for it to evolve and transform. I also hope to be able to share my love for dance, especially ballet, and make it accessible to a wider audience.
To those considering SOTA:
Join SOTA if you have a genuine passion for your artform – it is a great opportunity to explore and learn more about it!
Students specialising in Dance will embrace a mind-body approach in learning about the body’s capabilities for movement and expression. They will develop confidence as performers and creators, armed with knowledge about dance across cultures and history.
Students will be encouraged to be inquisitive and reflective as they develop analytical and critical thinking skills through theoretical exposure. They will be disciplined, resilient learners who are passionate about Dance.
Find out more about SOTA at our e-Open House, held online from 9 April to 17 May 2022 HERE.