HYPEBy Lee Dion
What do you do when you’ve reached the top of your game and there isn’t anything much of a kick anymore? Why, you start all over from the basics, of course.
For undefeated champions of the Dancesport arena, the learning never stops. Melvin and Sharon, who are both in their early 30s, have been dancing competitively for 10 years now and will be celebrating the anniversary of their partnership with the birth of their dance academy at the Chinese Swimming Club come August.
Plans were first announced when they participated in dance reality show, The Dance Floor in 2007. Their goal was to win the competition and open a dance studio with the prize money of $50,000.
Despite not winning the competition, their dream has finally materialised two years after. “It’s always our dream to have a place of our own, a place where we can share our passion and build up a pool of talent,” shares Melvin who adds that “there is certainly potential in Singapore for more dance talents”.
Sharon reveals that their dream was first conceived “within 2 to 3 years of coming together as dance partners” and of the journey thus far, she adds that “it has been a rather steep learning curve but we’ve managed well”, her answer evident of the pair’s shared spirit of perseverance.
Apart from the opening of their dance studio, the pair is kept busying with their coaching duties at schools like Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and Hwa Chong Institution.
Their engagement with students has also provided them with an opportunity to groom and introduce fresh blood to the sport, traditionally taken up by the mature and couples only.
The pride of Melvin and Sharon must surely lie in Daryl, 22, currently serving in the army, and Pamela, 21, who is currently pursuing her degree.
Both are graduates of NP and had no background in dancing. It was only upon joining the NP’s Dancesport club as freshmen did their journey really begin.
“I’ve always wanted to dance since young but my parents were against the idea. I still went ahead to put my name down at the Dancesport booth” recounts Pamela. On the flipside, Daryl adds that it was his childhood dream “to be dancing in tailcoats”.
Obstacles aside, Daryl and Pamela stuck to their passion – spending time, effort and money for a sport that they love and eventually became competent in.
“You could say that we started as amateurs in NP and left as professionals,” says Daryl.
And as a sign of their success, Daryl and Pamela will also serve alongside Melvin and Sharon as dance instructors to classes of the new dance academy for students between 16 to 25 years old.
“Having trained under Sharon and myself for 3 years and won several regionals, I have absolute faith in Daryl and Pamela,” quips Melvin.
Having come one step closer to their dream of a school where they can nurture aspiring dancers, is there anything that Melvin and Sharon would have done differently?
“Yes, on hindsight, the prize money would have just been a bonus. We [already] had the resources then and we should have just opened the academy earlier,” says Sharon.