A showcase of passion and effort

Providing a spectacle of movement and music that night were students from about 30 schools in Singapore. The 900 performers had spent months of sweat and hard work in rehearsals and training sessions to put together a choreographed sequence of dances and musical routines that showcased Singapore's cultural diversity.

Practising their moves before the big night.

Take Eliana Balasubramaniam from Methodist Girls' School. "I am really proud to be representing my school and Singapore!" said the Secondary One student who took part in a dance aptly entitled 'One ASEAN'. Recalling practice sessions that spanned two weeks of the June school holidays, she declared, "Even though we had to practise for long hours and training was stressful and tiring, it was worth it."

Koh Deng Wen from Pioneer Secondary School was another dancer in 'One ASEAN', which involved more than 120 performers. Brimming with excitement, she said, "I am really grateful for the chance to perform at the ASG Opening as it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I have no regrets as I have a strong passion for dancing."

Representing Singapore with pride.

"It was worth it" was certainly a common sentiment among the student performers, who juggled their regular schoolwork and a rigorous schedule that pretty much consumed the first half of the year and tested their strength and stamina. Given this regiment of physical and mental demands, a spunky troupe from the only primary school to take part deserves special mention.

Roscoe Liew was one of 92 pupils from Rulang Primary School who presented a fancy rope-skipping act involving hip-hop dance moves. "Some of the moves were difficult," quipped the Primary 5 pupil. "But we practised six months for this." His schoolmate Serene Ng, also in Pri 5, added, "It was tough to synchronise everyone, but in the end, it was worth it!"

Rulang Primary School pupils demonstrate their hip-hop skills with the skipping rope.

The wholly new choreography created for many of the performances challenged students to push their artistic boundaries and personal limits. Ho Shi Lei, a Secondary 3 student from Nan Hua High School who danced in an exuberant 200-strong sequence entitled 'Rhythm of Youth', had this to say: "We had to learn many new dance moves as there were elements from different schools of dance in this choreography: tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, ethnic dance - you name it!"

Echoing these thoughts, Shi Lei's fellow dancer, Nur Aisyah Bte Mohd Nizam remarked, "The dance incorporates moves from different styles and exposes us to different schools and cultural traditions." The Year 5 student from NUS High School added, "Even though it's a contemporary dance, it is also a fusion of many traditional forms."

Sharing the joy of a worthwhile journey

What was most memorable for the performers, however, was the journey they shared with their fellow dancers and musicians in the run-up to the big night. One segment of the show reflected just this theme. Entitled 'Perjalanan' (meaning 'Journey' in Malay), this gamelan composition presented by students from Siglap Secondary School and Hougang Secondary School celebrated the process of arriving at a worthwhile destination.

For many students, it was the bonds built that was the most memorable part of the performances.

Recounting the camaraderie of performing in the ensemble, Mohd Hakkim of Hougang Secondary School said, "Our friendship grew much stronger as we worked hard and made sacrifices together." The Secondary 4 student added, "I enjoyed the journey and had fun along the way at the same time!" Chirping in, Zulhimi Azalan of Siglap Secondary School, declared, "Our teamwork definitely grew better as two gamelan orchestras from different schools came together to practise."

The finale was a rousing ASG song that ended the night on a high note. For Elfieqa Ismail, a Secondary 4 student from Chong Boon Secondary School, belting out the solo part of the song was a privilege she would savour for a long time to come. "When we rehearsed, I could really feel the song and the bonding with every performer on stage!" recalled Elfieqa. "I hope that the ties don't stop here."

Aisyah of Geylang Methodist School amps up the atmosphere with her powerful vocals.

Fellow soloist Aisyah Salim feels the same way. Said the Secondary 3 student from Geylang Methodist School, "I have never sung with so many dancers - 200 of them! I learnt to work with such a big team and made a lot of friends along the way."

As the performers took their bow, the athletes' prepared themselves to embark on a week of intense competition amid the comradeship of sharing the Games Village at the Nanyang Technological University. But for every student who played a part, both athlete as well as performer, the ASEAN School Games will likely be a lasting source of inspiration and the spark of many lifelong bonds.