Each year CFA’s arts excellence groups take on many hundreds of new members. For some groups there are competitive auditions while for others, opportunities are more open. Every group provides opportunities to learn and develop, both as an artist and as a person in your time at NUS.

What many people don’t realise is that being a part of the arts at NUS doesn’t end with graduation. Many of our groups have alumni members and alumni who are still practicing in their craft frequently contribute to new CFA productions and events in all-sorts of capacities.

We spoke with NUS Dance Synergy alumni and recent NUS graduate Kuan Ting about his involvement in the group through his time at NUS and more recently.

How has your time with NUS Dance Synergy benefitted you personally?

NUS Dance Synergy provided me with the opportunities to grow as a dancer, both in terms of technique and attitude. The greatest change I see in myself is how much more confident I am now as a dancer. The confidence comes from our rigorous weekly training and rehearsals that push me to be a stronger dancer. Above all, it provided a safe and yet challenging environment to allow me to be uninhibited in trying out new movements and ideas. This allowed me to grow at a comfortable and progressive way. This confidence also allows me to venture into other areas of contemporary dance and other dance genres to further challenge myself as a dancer.

Do you feel that the skills acquired helped you as you started your post-NUS journey?

As a whole, the opportunities the NUS Dance Synergy has given me really made me ponder about my place in the group and in the society at large. I was not the best dancer at the beginning, and yet I was given the chance to perform and grow. Translating this to my career as an educator, my personal experience in NUS Dance Synergy affirms my belief that opportunities should also be given to every student, regardless of their abilities. Education is a tool to help reduce inequality and empower the less fortunate, and this will be a distant dream if there were not enough opportunities for every student.

In what ways are you contributing to the same group and why you see the need to do so?

Right now, I am choreographing a short piece titled ‘Lasting brevity’ for the groups Students’ Life Fair performance and HERE! arts carnival. It is about the irony of experiencing various moments that are fleeting on the time scale and yet it creates a lasting impact on us, be it a fond memory, a change in perspective or a life-long regret. I would want to contribute to NUS Dance Synergy to help her grow the next batch of juniors and achieve new milestones as a dance group.

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Whether you are a current student with dreams of performing or an alumni of a CFA group, there are many possibilities to be involved with NUC CFA please stay in touch with us!

For current students, the opportunities can be found here. As an alumni and please click here for information.