It’s never too late to get better at the sport you love. So if you’ve always wished you could land that serve or pull off the perfect football feint, book yourself in for a training session with these adult-training specialists. 

Basketball

Bernard Williams is Singapore’s first and only pro coach who’s played in a US basketball league. He helms LJE Sports which specializes in customized basketball training programs ($90-$125/hr) that consist of everything from dribbling to shooting and fitness. Training time depends on the shape you’re in, but focuses heavily on fitness. Williams suggests twice-a-week sessions in the morning or afternoon for at least half a year to get you in competitive shape.

Football

With the English Premier League in its off-season, you need something else soccer-related to occupy yourself. Get into shape with a weekly adult specific training session for men and women’s football training ($30 for a two hour session every Tuesday from 9pm-11pm) conducted by ESPZEN Soccer School. Here you have programs that focus on small-sided games and drills to improve your touch and sense of the game. Lee Taylor from ESPZEN says that “current fitness is not an issue” as their trainings are structured to be individual focused. The training will give “every player hundreds of touches of the ball during each session” to make them “a better footballer.”

Tennis

If Andy Murray’s win at Wimbledon has inspired you to pick up tennis, go to Savitar. They provide introductory lessons ($75-$85/hr, 7pm-8:30pm on Monday and Tuesday) called Discover Tennis that range from a one-on-one lesson to group lessons of six block sessions, each lasting 90mins. There also offer a new cardio-centric program called Tennis Fit, which involves rapid drills and workouts on the court is able for both beginners and experienced players. The lessons are offered at four different locations, including Willow Stream Spa Tennis Facility.

Squash

Let the coaches from the Singapore Squash Academy show you how to make the most of a small space in their individual training sessions ($50/hr). They’ll guide you on basic strokes and movement in the court to give you that much-needed edge in your game. On top of that, you can train at a location of your choice. Programs cater to both recreational and competitive players.

You’re no stranger to the local theatre scene. Are you seeing plenty of quality local playwrights like Jean Tay these days?
There are a whole new generation that are breaking out but they need more time and mentoring and encouragement. I am heartened by those I have worked with; recently I directed two winners of Theatreworks’ 24-Hour Playwriting Competition who were 15 and 16 years old respectively at the time they won and the audiences were surprised at the level of sophistication and achievement of the plays. I am also workshopping new plays with a group of young playwrights that are being mentored by veterans like Chong Tze Chien and Huzir Sulaiman and they are producing exciting work. All these bodes well for the future.

What do you think of the title’s recent adoption as an “O” Level literature text in schools?
It’s fantastic. This play has so much to offer. Its achievement is enormous! A gripping story that is accessible, its storytelling is complex: allowing the play to unfold in an easy to follow manner, yet allows the audience to experience the expansion and collapse of time with many themes and worlds; physical, emotional and intellectual!

What are some of your own quirks?
Quirks? Everybody has them. I think a lot or sometimes, I don’t think and just jump in to play and have the most fun. I just try to be as instinctive, yet aware of what happens and what to go for, which might seem like a contradiction. But actors have to function on multiple levels. As long as the environment is safe I am willing to try anything.

The cast is one with a mix of veterans and young ones. How do you cope with them?
Sure it’s amusing for me to say the least. Sometimes when I explain things I have to use metaphors and names that are as unfamiliar to me as my references are to them—like swopping Joni Mitchell for Taylor Swift, Frank Sinatra for Adam Lambert, Steven Spielberg for Chris Nolan, Robinson’s departmental store for Uniqlo, cold calling for social media. I love it because it keeps me on my toes and keeps me current!    

How do you unwind after a long day of rehearsals?
I unwind by travelling, taking photographs and playing tennis. I love catching up with friends as I don’t see enough of them during intense periods of work.

What advice do you have for aspiring local actors?
Be sure this is what you really want to do; it’s not easy or glamorous! Once you do, then fill yourself up with as much knowledge and culture as you can, both in terms of training and studying in many fields that are related to art, performance, music, literature, cinema, architecture and philosophy. An actor must be an athlete of physical, emotional and intellectual dimensions.

How did the plan come about? 
The genesis of the event was when a group of University Scholars Program (USP) alumni came together, wanting to give back to the programme. We were brainstorming for innovative and exciting fundraising activities that diverge from the ‘pull-at-your-heartstrings’ campaigns, which are the norm in Singapore. It's about getting Singaporeans to step out of their daily routines and doing something extraordinary for a cause they are passionate about. Participating teams challenge themselves to dance anything between one to ten hours, in order to raise funds for a charity of their choice. In a sense, we are advocates for advocacy.

In line with our original motivation, any profit made from the event will go towards helping financially disadvantaged students from USP, our alma mater.

If it wasn’t for this activity, what would it have been? 
Probably something boring and typical like a fundraising dinner targeted at USP alumni? Then again, the dinner wouldn’t happen because we don’t want to be organising something boring and typical.We started off with the idea of a dance marathon. Along the way, we experimented with iterations of the concept, including a karaoke component, or bringing on board side-events to engage members of the public who are too shy to dance.

In the end, we decided not to be overly ambitious. This is the first time such an event is happening in Singapore, and everyone who signed up is taking as much of a risk as we are. We promised our participants a 10-hour dance marathon, so we want to focus on delivering ten hours worth of challenging, memorable and awesome dancing.

Did you pick Hong Lim Park to make a statement?
No. In fact, we had reservations about holding our event at Hong Lim Park because we didn’t want it to be misconstrued as an activity with political intentions. We sought out other potential venue partners, but eventually went with Hong Lim Park due to practical logistical considerations, and cost considerations as well. Having said that, Hong Lim Park is actually a great space that Singaporeans can utilise for all sorts of activities. Many of the limitations and restrictions placed on other venues don’t apply here, and we are very thankful that such a space exists in our society. 

What can participants/ non-participants expect besides dance instructors to bring them through a seemingly endless dancing session? 
You make it sound like 10 hours of dancing will actually be boring! We Will Dance is structured such that every hour, dance instructors will lead participants in learning the basic dance moves of difference dance styles. This includes the likes of K-Pop, Zumba, Street Dance and so on. The event is open to the public and anyone can come by to soak in the atmosphere, join in the fun, or just watch. There will also be performances from various bands and dance groups throughout the day. Light refreshments will be on sale, and you can look forward to interesting booth activities from our partners.

At the end of the day, we will focus on delivering a great 10-hour dance marathon for our participants. But since Hong Lim Park is a public space, it’ll be interesting to see how the public reacts to our events. Some people have even written in to ask if they can come by with their children and have a picnic while watching the marathon. To that we say: Yes, definitely!

You’re going to have dance instructors teaching participants dance moves at every hour. How much dancing can a person take in ten hours?!
Participants can choose to sign-up in teams of one to three members. There are also different dance categories [where] team members can tag in and out every hour, so most people wouldn’t actually have to dance for ten hours straight! As of now, we have four people signed up as solo participants in the Dance Maniac category. We admire their courage and look forward to seeing them complete the feat on event day!

What are some of the challenges you faced in the process of organisation? 
On the whole, it’s been an amazing experience organising We Will Dance. We have many more reasons to be thankful than frustrated. Our sponsors, partners and the entire USP network have gone out of their way to contribute to an event without asking for anything in return.

Then again, we don’t want to paint an overly rosy image of what it takes to organise an event like it. It takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication, dedication, dedication. If you ever want to attempt something of this nature, be sure to do it with people who believe in it as strongly as you do, and will stick with you through all the late-night meetings, paperwork and rejections.

Besides raising funds for charity, what do you hope to achieve from this? 
As mentioned above, we see ourselves as ‘advocates for advocacy’. There is a lot more room for people in Singapore to step out of our comfort zones and play an active role in society. Oftentimes, all it takes is a good first experience, so we hope for We Will Dance to be that first feel-good experience, which will spur participants to do more in future.

As USP alumni, another objective of our event is to bring together the entire USP community – students, faculty, staff and alumni – for a day of fun in the sun. As a relatively young academic programme with no official Alumni club or society, we hope for this to spur greater alumni involvement in USP.

Do you think you were made to do such charitable acts? 
I don’t think anyone is ‘made’ to do anything. Everyone is exposed to his or her own unique set of experiences, which affects our outlook on life and how we react to it. Everyone also has different sets of resources available to us. I just think we can fully utilise what we have available to us to act on issues we believe in.

Do charitable acts happen by chance or a conscious effort? 
Charitable acts can happen on an everyday basis. Sometimes, small and simple acts that take little effort can be just as meaningful as a big-bang charity event.

Yet there are all sorts of inequalities present in Singapore society and issues that need to be addressed. These require groups of dedicated individuals who commit time and effort over long periods, to work together in a structured manner in order to effect change. 

Do you think charity efforts in Singapore have plenty of encouragement from society and government? 
There are tons of charity efforts happening on a regular basis in Singapore. The government also has a lot of funds and schemes in place to support charity efforts. But there is no perfect society, and there are endless areas in which Singapore society and the Singapore government can improve.

At the end of the day, if you believe something can be done to improve a situation that you think deserves to be changed, it is up to you to seek out like-minded individuals that can work with you to change it. Stop waiting, complaining or criticising. Do something about it.

We Will Dance is happening August 17, noon at Hong Lim Park. For more information, check their website. Tickets are $25-50.

How did the production come about?
In 2006, we created Mobile with artists from Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. It opened at the Singapore Arts Festival and in 2007, it toured to Setagaya Public Theatre, Tokyo.  It went well and we knew one day we will work with Japan once again. By 2012, we were ready.

Describe some of the themes in the play.
Human beings desire identity and are attracted to join groups and movements and by default, citizens of a country. Yet after some time, while some become loyalists, nationalists, imperialists or fascists, others end up feeling limited and restless. They resist the traits that initially provided the identity they so desired. The identity is then contested when it can no longer include new elements. The group becomes exclusive, closed and determinate.

You sound like a nostalgic person. Are you?
Yes I am a very nostalgic person but I train myself to historicize instead.  It’s not easy but it’s interesting and more beneficial to do that. Mobile 2: Flat Cities is a work that historicizes the relationship between Japan and Southeast Asia.  So instead of romanticizing the past, we juxtapose the past with the present to envision a future we can then invest in to build towards.

How’s it like working with artists based in different location coming together?
Fortunately, we started in September last year when we went to Tokyo for a workshop with our Japanese counterparts. Playing together, sometimes without translation helped us to find ways to relate to one another outside of language. Being artists, there are some common sensibilities like mutual respect.

How are our local artists different from them?
The Japanese read the script through a different cultural lens. Because they are less attuned to the politics in Malaysia, they read a scene differently from our local actors. So discussions help clear things up. Generally, Singaporean and Japanese actors love to work. They share similar work ethic and friendships develop through the work..

Do you think the out-of-bound markers restricting theater have been lifted? If not, how far have we progressed?
We’ve come a long way. Although we are still being regulated, it’s a different scene from what we had say, five years ago. Today, we have an advisory system. I believe the conservatives among us have every right to be protected. Let’s share the space. So perhaps with advisory and rating, we can warn each other of the content of the work.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I see myself creating more meaningful and challenging intercultural work in all realms of theater-making.

Mobile 2: Flat Cities runs from Aug 28-Sept 9 at The Necessary Stage Black Box. Tickets go for $30 from SISTIC.

What’s the energy level of the band like these days? 
The band is still pumping and the energy levels are high.

You guys perform plenty of retro songs. What is the most contemporary song you’ve played?
Yes, we do love retro songs because there is quality in this kind of music. We do play the latest hits from Bruno Mars, Pitbull, Daft Punk, Maroon 5 and the likes.

Playing alongside greats such as B.B. King and Gloria Estefan must’ve been memorable for the band. Who is an artist the band would pay to perform with?
That would be, without a question, Sting.

Do you think your band would be open to bringing in new blood in the name of longevity?
Yes, we do like to inject new blood in the band when the time calls for it and hopefully this will keep the group going for decades to come.

Social media is such a huge tool for marketing these days. Have you guys jumped onto the bandwagon?
We have our Jive Talkin’ fans facebook page and the website (www.jive-talkin.com). We keep in touch with our fans by constantly updating with the latest news, events, photos of the band through social media.

One word to describe yourselves?
Jive-licious.

Catch Jive Talkin' every Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10:30pm till late at Fern & Kiwi.