Performing arts CCAs place students in situations that ask more of them: to listen closely, respond to feedback and keep going when practice gets demanding. For Ashley Tham and Graeden Dispo, dance and music became avenues to test themselves, steady their focus and discover what effort over time can achieve.
Ashley Tham learns to move with confidence
When Ashley steps onto the stage, her movements are steady and assured. That assurance did not come overnight – it was shaped through practice and a deep commitment to dance.
Ashley first joined Fusionz Dance at APSN Tanglin School in Secondary 1 to explore a CCA she already felt drawn to. She had begun dancing earlier, starting in Primary 2 at Chaoyang School. “Dance makes me feel happy and strong,” she shares. While she was comfortable being on stage, remembering choreography, staying in sync with others and staying attentive through long rehearsals were challenging at first. There were moments of fatigue, but she kept showing up.
What helped her persist was a supportive CCA environment. Her teachers focused on building up her self-confidence. “We checked in with Ashley regularly and set small, achievable goals,” says co-teacher-in-charge Ms Syafiqah Binte Mohamed Salleh. “Celebrating small wins helped her keep going.”
Rehearsals became a space where Ashley learnt to respond to feedback, adapt when routines were demanding, and stay committed even when progress felt slow. By participating in numerous in-school and public performances, she learnt to stay composed under pressure.
“Dance teaches students how to manage pressure and perform with clarity,” says Ashley’s dance instructor, Mr Mohammad Ridzwan Bin Rashid, known to students as Mr Ewan.
Those skills carried into her sporting pursuits as well. A competitive swimmer, Ashley recently represented Team Singapore at the 2025 Dubai Asian Youth Para Games, winning two silver and two bronze medals.
Today, Ashley finds purpose not just in performing, but in supporting others. She enjoys guiding and encouraging younger dancers when routines feel overwhelming. “I want them to enjoy dancing and feel at ease on stage,” she says.
Shaped by her experiences in both dance and swimming, Ashley hopes to pursue adaptive sports programmes, so she can help others discover what movement can make possible.
“Through dance, Ashley has found a way to express herself,” her mother shares. “Each performance helped her grow, not just as a dancer, but as a young person who believes in herself.”
Graeden Dispo finds his voice through music
When Graeden joined the Yuhua Secondary School Concert Band in Secondary 1, he was still finding his place. “I kept thinking whether this was the right CCA for me,” he recalls. He had joined hoping to pick up a new skill. But the pressure of performing and keeping up with others made speaking up – let alone playing the tuba confidently – a challenge.
Four years later, Graeden has conducted the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band, and co-written a song performed at the Esplanade. He has decided to pursue a Diploma in Sonic Arts at Republic Polytechnic.
The clarity came during his Sec 2 National Day Parade (NDP) 2023 performance. “That experience helped me feel surer about staying on,” he shares. He performed again at last year’s NDP, this time as a Band Leader. Standing on a national stage, he realised how much he enjoyed playing music, and how far he had come.
“Since joining the band, Graeden has become more focused and expressive,” says his mother. “Through practice and performing, he developed grit.”
As a Section Leader and later Concert Band Leader, Graeden encountered an unexpected challenge: communication. “I learnt that being more communicative, instead of shy and quiet like I sometimes can be, really mattered,” he says. When plans were shared late, duties were assigned on the spot and confusion followed. Working with his bandmates, Graeden helped put a weekly roster in place, and rehearsals soon ran more smoothly.
As Graeden grew more comfortable speaking up, he carried those lessons into mentoring. When guiding Secondary 1 euphonium players, who play a brass instrument similar to but smaller than the tuba, he focused on getting to know them better to help them settle in.
“I’d talk to them about their interests outside school, just to make them comfortable,” he says. “They remind me of myself when I first joined the CCA.” In helping others settle in, he found himself growing more assured.
Graeden’s most dramatic leap came during the Singapore Youth Festival songwriting competition when he was in Secondary 2. With no singing experience, he pushed further into unfamiliar territory when he had to perform his song.
“It was eye-opening,” he says. “When I write and perform my own music, it feels more personal than just reading notes off a page.” One line from his song particularly resonated with him: With all our might, let’s make history. “I want to write music that reflects my experiences and inspires others,” he adds.
Graeden’s music teacher, Mr Tommy Wong says, “Sometimes I had to be a bit firmer and tell him not to be scared, just go for it. Giving him that extra push helped him step into new experiences he might not have tried on his own.”
For Graeden’s band conductor, Ms Chan Peck Suan, this courage was something she saw him carry from one challenge to the next.
“From being reluctant to even sing, Graeden pressed on and eventually performed at the Esplanade,” says Mr Wong. “That courage will stay with him.”
Photos courtesy of: APSN Tanglin School and Yuhua Secondary School
