Tapping to the top

Tapping to the top

The first Asia's Got Talent winner might just be the Singaporean act Dance Thrilogy.

The all-girl tap dance group were revealed as a finalist in the reality talent show yesterday, joining eight other acts from Mongolia, China, Japan, Thailand and Philippines.

The grand final episode, filmed at the Marina Bay Sands' Sands Theatre, was aired yesterday at 8.05pm on AXN (StarHub Ch 511).

The 11-member Dance Thrilogy's synchronised, energetic routine to We're In The Money from the musical 42nd Street impressed the judges.

Spice Girls' Mel C aka Melanie Chisholm, 41, praised their "flawless" dance while Indonesian singer Anggun, 41, said the troupe had inspired her seven-year-old daughter to want to take up tap dancing.

The Dance Thrilogy girls, who are students aged between nine and 13, have been performing together for two years. Most of them, who are also trained in ballet and jazz, have been dancing since they were mere toddlers.

The group has won many local and regional dance competitions, including one in Australia.

For Haig Girls' School student Chean Jing Qian, 11, even a fall could not dampen her spirit to perform yesterday.

"I slipped on the floor earlier during rehearsal, but I got back up and continued dancing," she told The New Paper.

"I felt pain during the performance, but I didn't give up. I wanted to persevere and not let the group down just because of something so small."

The students, many of whom had to miss exams to be in the competition, faced time constraints in preparing for the final. There were also last-minute changes to the choreography, which they had to learn quickly.

Despite tough competition, especially from Filipino shadow play act El Gamma Penumbra and Mongolian folk-rock musical ensemble Khusugtun, Dance Thrilogy are hoping to come out tops in the competition.

If they win, Haig Girls' School student Angeline Koh, 10, knows what she will do with her share of the prize.

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"I will donate 75 per cent to charity and half of the remainder to our school, Dance Thrilogy, so we can dance in a bigger space," said Angeline.

Public voting started at 10pm yesterday and it will decide the winner of US$100,000 (S$133,000) and the chance to perform at Marina Bay Sands. The winner will be announced next Thursday.

The public can vote for their favourite groups via Facebook, SMS and the Asia's Got Talent mobile app.

Voting closes at 11.59pm on May 11.


This article was first published on May 8, 2015.
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