Successful DSA-SEC Admissions In 2024 ~ Ms Nicole Ong

20 Jan 2024
All About Dance Dance Competitions Dance Examinations Dance Performances Direct-School Admissions (DSA-SEC)
DSA-SEC Admissions In 2024 - Our Student's Success Stories


In an academically driven society as Singapore where every parent's primary concern with school-going children is their educational results, we have encountered first-hand when dance is often sacrificed for extra tuition classes when a student's academic results need improvement. However, we are of the humble opinion that dance actually offers students an outlet to engage in an activity that betters their mental and physical wellbeing, leaving them recharged for their academic pursuits.


In recent years, our nation's leading education authority - Ministry Of Education has been pushing for a broad-based multifaceted learning approach as evidenced by the introduction of the new Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system - Achievement Level (AL) since 2021 and the introduction of Subject-Based Banding (SBB) in Secondary Schools from 2024 onwards. Thus, pursuing dance while striving for academic excellence at the same time is now a very viable option through MOE's DSA-SEC admission programme that takes into account a student's talent in Dance when they are vying for a spot in their preferred Secondary School. For our full in-depth review of this topic, please visit this link: https://stepup.sg/blog/DSA-SEC-How-Dance-Can-Complement-Your-Child-s-Admission-Into-Their-Preferred-Secondary-School.

 



Shown above are the 2022/23 Dance Competition achievements of Ms Nicole Ong who managed to receive a confirmed offer from her preferred Secondary School through DSA-SEC via the talent area of Dance. Read on to find out more of her personal insights with regards to her successful DSA journey in 2023: 


1. What are the most important personal attributes in a student for success in DSA using dance?

The most important personal attributes is to be confident and just be yourself. Be an extrovert! During the interview, you have to speak loud and with confidence, this shows the interviewer of your confidence and determination in fighting for the DSA spot! What really helped me get through the interview was to be fluent and imagine that the interviewer is your friend and you are just having a conversation with them. And don’t forget to have a big bright smile on your face and most importantly, you have to make eye contact with them. If you have two or more interviewer, you have to make sure to look at them individually. One good thing about the DSA audition for my secondary school is that the interviewer will give you time to mark through your solo dance item steps before they ask you to show them your full-out routine. This bit of precious time helped me to think through my dance steps and the corrections that my dance teacher provided. Most importantly, be confident in expressing yourself (faces)! That will definitely entertain the DSA assessors!


2. How have the DSA preparations at StepUp contributed to your success in DSA?

I don’t know if other dance school would provide this service but I am really grateful of what StepUp has provided. Mr Ng had spent time to coach me for my preparation for the interview part of the DSA assessment. He will give feedback and advice on my presentation to me and my parents. The DSA webinars are well-prepared and allowed my parents to have a better understanding on the submission process.


3. How has the dance journey at StepUp contributed to your success in DSA?

Participating in the RAD Ballet exams, recitals and competitions allows me to open up my confidence. I can apply this learning outcomes in the dance portion of my DSA audition. This allows me to reduce my anixety and nervousness about messing up the routine.


4. Why did you decide to take up DSA-SEC?

I love to dance, be it ballet or modern dance so I wanted to show my passion in dancing and be able to contribute in my seondary school dance club committee like what I used to do in my primary school dance CCA. I hope to become my secondary school's CCA dance captain and to represent the school in competitions.


5. Who would you recommend DSA-SEC to and why?

I would recommend DSA to those who are interested in dancing in any genre as they can express their talent even more.


6. What was the toughest part of the DSA-SEC submission?

The toughest part was the preparation of learning my dance routine with my teacher within a tight timeframe once the audition date was confirmed. To overcome it, I practiced the dance everyday so that my muscles would remember the dance steps. When I was dancing in front of the DSA assessors, the muscle memories will be taking over control of my body.


7. If you could redo the entire DSA-SEC submission again, what improvements would you undertake?

If I could redo the entire DSA application, I would want to do the genre that I am able to show more technique and present the fine details in my dance.


8. What was the differential between your average Achievement Level (AL) from Primary 4 to the actual PSLE results, and the AL cut-off score required by Orchid Park Secondary School?

My average AL was within a 8% differential from the requirements of Orchid Park Secondary School.


Thanks to Nicole for sharing her DSA-SEC journey and inspiring our juniors at StepUp with her success story! 

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