For our first story, we feature Ginny Gan, Singapore Dance Theatre Artiste.  Ginny is also the model in Om Republic’s first photoshoot.

Born and raised in Singapore, Ginny trained at the Singapore Ballet Academy and graduated from the New Zealand School of Dance.  Since joining Singapore Dance Theatre in 2007 as a full-time member, she has performed in an extensive number of SDT productions, including many lead roles.  We find out what led her to pursue dance as a profession, and what makes her tick.  

Q: You decided to pursue a career in dance at 16, when your peers were preparing to go to junior college and eventually university.  Was it difficult to make that decision—to choose the path less trodden—or was it a natural calling?  

Ginny: I decided to pursue dance because I enjoy doing it and also because I believe that I have some talent for it!  It wasn’t an easy path but I am glad I did not give this up back then and will only regret it later on when I’m too old to get into a full-time dance school.  

Q: What were some of the difficulties you encountered along this “not easy path”, and how did you overcome them?  

Trying very hard to keep up with the rest or my classmates in the class and meeting up with the same standards.  It was very upsetting most of the time so it would’ve been easier to give up and walk away.  But I decided to stay on and push myself harder to my limits.  It was very difficult but it has brought me this far in my career.   

Q: What is it about dance that attracted you in the first place?  Has it changed in any way when you started dancing professionally?  

Ginny: I have always liked dancing and music.  When I was younger, I have always wanted to be able to dance well.  Things definitely changed and as we grow, we learn more, understand more and we have to make our own decisions–decisions on what we really want and that will be good for ourselves and of course, our career and deciding how to go from there to make it happen.  

Q: No two days are ever alike, but can you describe what goes on in a “typical� day as a dancer?  

Ginny: Every morning, we would start our day with a full ballet class as a warm up.  Thereafter, we would start our rehearsals depending on the dance piece that we will be performing in the upcoming season.  

Q: You attend company classes and rehearsals 6 days a week.  That’s a lot of dancing.  What do you do for fun and relaxation?   

Ginny: We only have the weekends to rest and recuperate from the week’s rehearsals.  I spend time with my family and rest as much as I can.  Unless there’s a special occasion, I will be resting for the most of my weekends.   

Q: What do you find to be the most challenging thing(s) about dancing professionally?  And the most rewarding?  

Ginny: The most challenging would be to work hard on your own and to keep up with the other dancers in the company.  Because every one person is never the same, but doing our personal best at work, there will be sacrifices and hard work.  It is the most rewarding to receive positive feedback on our performances.   

Q: Dance is a beautiful and tough career at the same time.  What keeps you going?  

Ginny: Determination and joy for it and of course, staying positive and happy helps get me through.  

Q: Last but not least, what are your favorite pieces from the Om Republic collection?  

Ginny: I like a couple of the tops and bottoms with cute oriental details–the Mei Racerback, Shan Halter, Wen Racerback and Mag Crop.  I like the material as it is very comfortable.  

Ginny will be performing at Singapore Dance Theatre’s upcoming production, Masterpiece in Motion (25 & 26 June at Esplanade Theatre).  For details about the performance, visit SDT’s website at www.singaporedancetheatre.com