Insider’s Guide To The Top 5 Dance Schools in Singapore

You have probably seen lists of best dance schools from other websites. Some are marketing articles written by people who were paid to write and others are lists of schools with no justification on the choice of selection. Lucky you because you have found this honest review that we have compiled from extensive research in the dance enrichment industry.

If you are googling for top dance schools in Singapore, chances are that you are looking at schools that offer more than the usual classes and examinations. You are probably looking for dance schools that produce top dancers and provide plenty of opportunities to build your child’s portfolio for her DSA application. We took the liberty to filter through many good schools and present to you the top schools that are in a league of their own.

Before you disagree with our selection, we would like to put up a disclaimer. Our selection is based on the amount of exposure and the average standard of the students in the school. Unfortunately, schools that participate sparsely in local competitions and those that only produce a couple of good dancers will not make it to our list. Don’t worry because we have an honourable mention list for them.

So here’s our top 5 dance schools in Singapore based on overall quality of dancers produced, opportunities given to students and awards won as observed from various nation wide dance competitions.

1. Jitterbugs Swingapore

First on our list is Jitterbugs Swingapore. Having won the most number of awards, Jitterbugs was awarded the Overall Champion Studio of Get The Beat Singapore and CSTD highest aggregate studio in 2017. They are a powerhouse with strengths particularly in group items, especially in the genre of Tapping. They are always a contender for the top spot in whichever group category that they are contesting in. If you are looking for a studio just to kill some time, we suggest you look elsewhere because Jitterbugs means business (in the good way). All students here are required to study at least two of the three core genres; Classical Ballet, Modern Jazz and Tapping, with Classical Ballet the compulsory genre.

20 Havelock Road #01-20 Central Square Singapore 059765,
Tel: (+65) 6887 0383, www.jitterbugs.com

2. Dance Thrilogy

Next on our list is Dance Thrilogy, finalists of Asia Got Talent, arguably the fiercest competitor of Jitterbugs Swingapore. Although trailing behind Jitterbugs in number of awards won, they are not far off and gets our vote as the joint top dance school in Singapore. Apart from their dominance in the group categories, they are also the leaders for having produced the most number of outstanding dancers who are always challenging for the top awards in the solo and duo/trio categories. The students there are usually multi-talented and well versed in many genres of dance, especially in Jazz and Tap.

08-01 Parkway Centre, 1 Marine Parade Central, Singapore 449408,
Tel: (+65) 6440 5515, www.dancethrilogy.com

3. Taneo Dance Academy

Taneo Dance Academy is one of the most consistent top performers, often occupying a spot in the top 3 positions in the group categories. They are not far behind Dance Thrilogy as the largest producer of outstanding dancers. It is common to see Dance Thrilogy and Taneo Dance Academy’s dancers sweeping up a couple of placings in the solo and duo/trio categories. The secret to their success lies in the extra training that the students go through as a result of their competitive course fees. They have 2 branches located in Woodlands and Bishan, a good option for northerners who don’t want to travel too far.

759 Woodlands Ave 6 #01-32, Singapore 730759 | 270 Bishan St 24 #B1-198 Singapore 570270,
Tel: (+65) 9271 4762, www.taneodanceacademy.com

4. Jody Marshall Dance Company

If you have been to a dance competition, chances are that you have been amazed by JMDC dancers’ acrobatic abilities and exciting dance routines. Although usually not the biggest winners, you would expect them to always put up a strong performance and finish just behind the eventual winners almost every time. Another consistent top performer across all categories, JMDC gets our vote as the most underrated dance school in Singapore. Due to their connection with JMDC Australia, the students here are given plenty of opportunities for performance and overseas learning exchange.

3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall #03-327 / 328,
Tel: (+65) 6337 7177, www.jmdcsingapore.com

5. City Ballet Academy

Moving down the list we have City Ballet Academy. The ballet instructors here are of the highest caliber, many were ex-professional dancers with exceptional achievements. They have also produced a couple of outstanding ballerinas who have won awards at various local and international dance competitions. The reason that we did not place them higher is because they only provide training in classical ballet and have a small competitive troupe as compared to the schools above. However, what they lack in quantity they make up in quality. This is where you should be if you want the best ballet training in Singapore.

22 Orchard Road #03-01 Singapore 238885,
Tel: (+65) 6336 1387, www.cityballetacademy.com

 

Honourable Mentions

On to the honourable mention awards, these are all great schools that you should also consider sending your child to. Some of them provide plenty of opportunities, participating frequently in competitions, such as Dance Point Academy, Stepping Out Studios, Attitude Performing Arts Studio, Artist Quotient, The School of Dance, Sissonne Dance Art and Jazz Cats. There are also those that participate in much smaller scale but also have top quality dancers such as Cheng Ballet Academy, Young Dancers Academy, The Ballet School and Crestar School of Dance.

Last advise to all aspiring dance moms and dads. Do not think that your child will receive the best training just because you are sending your child to one of the schools that we have listed here. Some schools have more than 1 centre, do your homework to find out which is the main branch. It is common for dance schools that have multiple branches to concentrate their best teachers and students in a particular centre to maximize results for branding purposes.

Also speak to the staffs to indicate your interest in grooming your child professionally so that they can advise you on the courses available. Find the opportunity to speak to the parents of award winning students to find out how many hours they put into their training every week, what is their practice routine at home and if they attend additional classes in the school or externally. Determine what is the outcome that you are expecting from the training. Do you only want competition opportunities or do you want your child to be among the best in the country? The commitment is going to be vastly different.