“My NDP Experience” by Tay Jing Xuan

“To summarise the entire NDP experience, I would say I went in with my ego in mind and came out with love, appreciation and understanding.

During lessons a week before the June holidays started, I received an email with a link to sign up for NDP, as a collaboration with the Singapore Cancer Society to perform alongside cancer survivors. Now, who wouldn’t want to perform in NDP? Who wouldn’t want to stand on the big stage and show everyone how important an event they’re participating in? Wouldn’t that be great to glamourise one’s profile with? Just like that, I mashed in my particulars to sign myself up for what would be the best twelve-week long journey I would ever have had in my life.

I’ll keep this simple and frank – it was tiring. It wore me down to the bone and squeezed out every ounce of energy I had every Saturday. Standing under the sun for hours on end, repeating choreography with flags that made our arms ache from swinging them around all day, getting slapped in the face by careless flagbearers, training over and over just to make sure my flag didn’t fold up while swinging in different directions, sunburns on every inch of my skin – all broke me down into an exhausted mess that collapsed into bed upon reaching home.

My parents and I had a tiff one day, their primary concerns being me potentially getting too drained to study properly and hating it for being so tiring. I promised them I wouldn’t do any of that. Why would I, if the payout was getting to look important participating in such a big event?

I kept my promise, but more importantly, I changed my mindset about that reward.

Before signing up for NDP, I used to spend my Saturdays studying in the morning and afternoon, then joining my family for dinner and dessert outside. It was a warm and happy occasion every week, but all work and no play made me a dull girl. My grandmother couldn’t possibly go on volunteering activities or cycle at the beach, so activities were confined to eating and talking, and that was fine. But when I volunteered for NDP and tired myself out every week, it felt like every bit of boredom that constant routine gave me was wrung out of each corner of my body. There was something to look forward to, a highlight that ended each week with a bang.

And then we moved our rehearsals to the Marina Bay Floating Platform.

It was the real deal there. Soldiers, marching contingents, performers from other acts flooded the stands, waiting for their turn to rehearse. It was hot, bright, terribly humid, and during our component rehearsal, a performer from our act was on the verge of a heat stroke. At night, there were lights all over the stage and speakers in every corner of the platform. Before each show, people would feed us with food and drink, handing out bottles of water at every point. But that was when I understood just how hard every participant – be it backstage helpers, light and sound technicians, cheerers or performers – had been working.

In the afternoon, the moment that performer felt faint, a stretcher was rushed over and she was brought under shade in a mere couple of minutes. During runs of our performance, technicians timed lights, sound and props to play at exactly the right time. Throughout the day, helpers would make sure every single performer was well-fed and happy. It wasn’t just the performers who worked hard. Behind the scenes, behind those beautiful songs and energetic dancing and choreography, were people supporting us throughout our entire journey, spending the time they could have saved for rest to encourage and take care of us. I grew to understand the sheer amount of work put into every NDP, and I learnt to appreciate every participant’s hard work, no matter what their role might be in the grand scheme of things.

With that were my friends, the ones who had been with me from the start, and the ones I made during the journey.

There was a total of eight people who signed up through my school. I had known a few people who joined this event too, and it was fun practising and training with them every week. They were the only ones I stayed with during the first month of rehearsals, though, and it was monotonous to talk to the same people every week. So, I shifted my attention to the other four and other performers around me.

At first, it was awkward between us, not having known each other at all and being on entirely different wavelengths. We were tentative with our words and we fed each other with small talk. That soon changed, though, as the rehearsals progressed and we began to talk more. I grew to love them as much as I loved the practise sessions, each week filled with happy banter and hysterical laughter over anecdotes. I performed not with the solitude of a single performer amidst hundreds of other participants, but rather with the shared understanding that we were all in this together, and that we had each other’s backs no matter what happened.

At that point, it wasn’t about me anymore. Sure, I had my five seconds of fame on national television on that special day, I had texts flooding my phone from every social media app I had on my phone to tell me they saw me, that I did a good job, and that I looked wonderful, but my ego wasn’t important anymore. It was all for the fun, for the love shared between me and everyone else, for the people who had been there for us from the very start.

After the performance, we were given performer-exclusive keychains with the NDP logo on it. The moment I got home, I took it out to hang on my bag. There are people who may ask why I would hang it there even though NDP’s already over and outdated. It’s true that it’ll expire next year when the logo’s different and the slogan’s no longer “We Are Singapore”, but it doesn’t matter, for it symbolises the very birthday celebration that gifted me so much more than just a stroke on my ego.”

Happy 28th Anniversary to Pho Leng Lion Dance Instruction Centre!

On 7 January 2018, our long-time partner, Pho Leng Lion Dance Instruction Centre celebrated its 28th anniversary and Martial House was honoured to be invited to attend and perform at the dinner event!

A team of 20 performers, including the champions of the 1st Wushu Stars Battle 2017 “Kungfu Revolution”, delivered a spectacular performance which received the warm applause of the guests present! A big thank you to the performers for the excellent performance and for doing Martial House proud!

  1. Martin Tay
  2. Ng Teck Hong
  3. Jeffrey Tan
  4. Teo Chia Chuan
  5. Xena Kan
  6. Nicklaus Ong
  7. Leo Yi Long
  8. Joel Ng
  9. Ng Shinn
  10. Chua Xin Qi
  11. Chua Wen Bin
  12. Esther Low
  13. Anya Sim
  14. Ethan Ng
  15. Chia Kai Ming
  16. Tan E-Dan
  17. Melissa Mak
  18. Shannon Eu
  19. Vanessa Cheong
  20. Ho Lin Ying

P.S. If you would like to engage Martial House for performances, kindly send your queries via email to [email protected] so that our coordinator can get back to you.

Once again, congratulations to Mr. Edwin Tan and Pho Leng Lion Dance Instruction Centre! Looking forward to many more years of partnership to promote the Chinese culture and tradition together!

Martial House Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration 2016

img_9698 It was indeed a fun and enjoyable night at MHQ on 12 September 2016 as the Martial House family celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival together! img_9717 This year, we celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival with our very own in-house carnival where festival goers were required to play games at the various booths to accumulate points to exchange for prizes! img_9753 Martial House would like to specially thank Coach Yannie & Coach Wei Kai for designing the games at the booths which brought so much joy to everyone! img_9939 Besides the carnival, we were privileged to have with us the Face Changing and Diabolo performers who delivered a series of spectacular performances which further hyped up the atmosphere! img_9782 Also, Martial House would like to thank Auntie Catherine, mother of Tay Yu Xuan, for the beautiful balloon sculptures! img_3638 With the successful conclusion of this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, do look forward to our upcoming events for more fun and excitement! img_9573

A Spectacular Wushu Stars Contest 2016!

img_9399 On 11 September 2016, Martial House & Chinatown Point jointly organised the first-ever Wushu Stars Contest! The contest aims to provide young participants with a platform to perform on stage and showcase their talents and creativity in Wushu. It was an honour to have award-winning Getai celebrity Lee Pei Fen with us as the emcee for the contest. img_8206 Also, we were privileged to have 3 distinguished guests as judges for the contest. They were: Former National Youth Team Athlete & 2-time Star Awards Young Talent Award Winner: Damien Teo  Former Team Singapore Wushu athlete & Renowned Artistic Choreographer: Gordon Choy Former Team Singapore Wushu athlete & National Wushu Judge: Leo Rui Yan img_8221 There were 2 categories for the contest. Group A for those aged 8 years and below as well as Group B for those aged 12 and below. img_8960 Participants wore their own distinct outfit, ranging from cartoon characters to superheroes, to showcase their self-choreographed routines, making each performance item unique and fun! Congratulations to the following participants for emerging as winners for the contest: Group A, aged 8 years and below Champion: Trophy + Samsung Galaxy Tab A A10 – Kenchi Neo img_9329 1st Runner-Up: Trophy + $200 UNIQLO Gift Card A11 – Sylvan Ong img_9324 2nd Runner-Up: Trophy + $100 UNIQLO Gift Card A7 – Xavier Wong img_9320 Merit Award: Medal + $20 UNIQLO Gift Card each A3 – Shayne Ong img_9294 A4 – Fritz Goh img_9302 A14 – Lucas Teo img_9314 A15 – Khrishwin img_9343 A19 – Jeremiah Khor img_9307 Group B, aged 12 years and below Champion: Trophy + Samsung Galaxy Tab A B11 – Joel Ng img_9374 1st Runner-Up: Trophy + $200 UNIQLO Gift Card B7 – Zachary Wong img_9368 2nd Runner-Up: Trophy + $100 UNIQLO Gift Card B5 – Jalvier Ong img_9361 Merit Award: Medal + $20 UNIQLO Gift Card each B1 – Royson Yu img_9348 B2 – Aatavius Kaden Ng img_9352 B4 – Tang Jian Ming img_9346 B6 – Felix Ng img_9339 B10 – Karl Leong img_9357 To most participants, it was their first time performing a solo act on stage. It was commendable that they managed to overcome their fear to step out of their comfort zone to perform in front of a large crowd! Well done kids! img_9331 Our Martial House Wushu Stars were also present to deliver a spectacular performance which won the applause of the audiences. They were: 1. Seow Wei Kai 2. Wang Choon Hai 3. Justin Low 4. Melissa Mak 5. Ng Shinn 6. Ng Yu Ninn 7. Leo Yi Long 8. Ng Ghing Hung 9. Joel Ng 10. Devni Chamodya Kaluarachchi img_8860 The first edition of the Wushu Stars Contest has successful come to an end. Martial House would like to thank our partner, Chinatown Point for co-organising this event and our sponsors for the amazing goodie bags and prizes. Not forgetting the participants and parents for their active involvement as well as our Martial House staff for their hard work and effort to make this contest a great success! img_9416

“My NDP Experience.”

By: Jennie Toh Yannie 2016 is a very special year as the National Day Parade (NDP) was held in the National Stadium for the first time in 10 years! The National Stadium provided a bigger stage for participants and opportunities for more Singaporeans to catch NDP “live” as the seating capacity was doubled compared to the Marina Floating Platform and the Padang! 14054767_10154002057184209_1574204151_n As a participant, I am really glad to be part of this year’s NDP. Even though I have participated in past NDPs before, I must say my involvement this year was extremely challenging. It was tough managing and coordinating the 6-metre long bamboo poles that it got really frustrating sometimes. However, as a team, we motivated one another to overcome the obstacles together, enriching our journey, contributing to a much more rewarding and memorable experience. 14012207_10154002055884209_1725003824_n Commitment is the most important element to deliver a quality performance. For months, participants have sacrificed their precious weekends to attend practices and rehearsals for the act. Friends often asked why we chose to take part in NDP and what we got in return. The answer, memories. 13934580_10153826881607934_5025091898127130047_n Memories of having having fun together, memories of times we step out of our comfort zone to make new friends, memories of delivering a successful performance together, memories of standing on stage, united as one to feel the Singapore spirit! 13880142_10153979897489209_3051047458522414162_n Through this NDP, I got to meet people from all walks of lives, to forge new friendships, something I appreciate most from the entire journey. I even had the chance to appear on national television for an interview! 13932763_10154000620099209_2503575542772059708_n How often do we get to wear such fanciful costumes to perform for millions? How often do we get the opportunities to be part of the nation’s largest celebration? I truly enjoyed my NDP experience and I am already looking forward to be part of NDP again in 2017! 14030905_10154002058574209_1934951816_n

Catch the “Shaolin” Show in Singapore!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oHW5ylPBcYo Catch the breathtaking performance by the Shaolin monks “live” in Singapore! From 13 to 24 July 2016, the cast will be showcasing their formidable skills and moves at Marina Bay Sands! In collaboration with BASE Entertainment Asia, all Martial House Star Card members are entitled to an EXCLUSIVE 15% DISCOUNT!* *All members should have receive an email with the directed link for you to click and purchase the tickets at the discounted rate. If you did not receive the email, kindly drop us an email to [email protected].* Furthermore, we will be giving away 3 PAIRS OF TICKETS for the show on 13 July 2016, 7:30pm! Simply show us your best Shaolin Kung Fu pose on Instagram with the hashtags #MartialHouse and #ShaolinSG to stand a chance to win! shaolin_24-2-15213614 copy Before joining the Martial House “Shaolin” Tickets Giveaway contest, kindly read our terms & conditions. TERMS & CONDITIONS These Terms and Conditions apply to all participants of the Martial House “Shaolin” Tickets Giveaway. Participants who take part agree to and are bound by all the terms and conditions as stated below: 1. Who can enter? Open to all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents of Singapore and any residing in Singapore at time of the contest. 2. How do I enter? Simply post a picture of you in your best Shaolin Kung Fu pose with hashtags #MartialHouse and #ShaolinSG to stand a chance to win a pair of “Shaolin” tickets. 3. When is the contest period? The contest has started and will end on 26 June 2016 at 11:59pm. Any photo post after this time will not be considered. 4. Can I submit more than once? You may submit as many entries, however, you will only be able to win 1 prize. 5. What are the prizes? 3 Winners x 1 Pair of “Shaolin” Tickets 6. How will you know if I have won? We’ll be announcing the 3 winners on Martial House Instagram and website on 28 June 2016. You’ll have until 1 July 2016 to respond with your personal particulars. If we don’t hear back from you within that time period, we’ll have to pick another winner. Winners will be contacted via Instagram message. All prizes will be collected on 13 July 2016 at the Box Office of Marina Bay Sands. Tickets not collected during the allotted duration will be forfeited. PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE PROVISIONS BELOW BEFORE PROVIDING YOUR PERSONAL DATA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST. BY PROVIDING YOUR PERSONAL DATA PURSUANT TO THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS OF THE PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION ACT 2010, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONTENTS OF THE PROVISIONS AND YOU HEREBY GIVE YOUR CONSENT AS SET OUT BELOW. By submitting your personal data via “Instagram” (which includes names, photographs, recorded audio/video, written communications and/or any other data attribute establishing the personal identity) you consent to Martial House Pte Ltd collecting, using, disclosing and/or processing your personal data for the purpose of “Martial House “Shaolin” Tickets Giveaway”. During your course of dealing with us, we will process your personal data for the above mentioned purpose, including, to communicate with you, provide products and/or services to you, respond to your enquiries or complaints, provide you with information and/or updates on products, services and/or promotions offered by Martial House Pte Ltd, identify you (including publishing your name and photograph) when you participate in the contest organised by us and other purposes required to operate and maintain our business.

Audition for a Role in NDP 2016

FullSizeRender (10) Remember the moment when Martial House Star, Koh Hao Xuan was one of the lead performers during SEA Games 2015 Opening Ceremony? Do you aspire to be like him? Your chance is here! There will be an audition for a role in this year’s National Day Parade (NDP), which is open exclusively to Martial House students! The NDP team is casting for a MALE performer, aged between 9 and 13 (inclusive). The audition will be held at MHQ on 17 April 2016, Sunday, from 10:00am onwards. Students who meet the above mentioned requirements and are interested to audition for the role, kindly report at MHQ by 9:45am. See you there!

Martial House CNY Performance Crew & Chingay Parade 2016 Appreciation Lunch

IMG_5262 With the objective to recognise the hard work and valuable contributions of Martial House Stars, the Martial House Chinese New Year (CNY) Performance Crew and Chingay Parade 2016 participants were invited to an exclusive appreciation lunch event on 28 February 2016! af9458e46ca149391babe475f8818eb4 After the sumptuous lunch, an award presentation ceremony was held. Firstly, certificates of appreciation by the People’s Association were individually presented to the participants of Chingay Parade 2016. Following, special awards were presented to outstanding performers. The awardees were: Chingay Parade 2016 Special Honorary Mention: Chua Xin Qi Star Participant Award: Eden Cheong Most Valuable Participant: Neville Cheong Character Awards 1. Most Polite: Dhea Tho 2. Most Responsible: Herlyn Loo 3. Most Caring: Amanda Seah 4. Most Helpful: Chua Wen Bin 5. Most Thoughtful: Melissa Mak 6. Most Hardworking: Loh Yan Ping 49f56573ca96b92775aea79cda14231e Awardees were each presented with a limited edition Martial House towel while an exclusive G-Shock watch was presented to the recipient of the Special Honorary Mention Award, Chua Xin Qi! 72c73af5259939d64443a15817aaed74 A third presentation was then specially held for the Martial House CNY Performance Crew. Five outstanding Martial House Stars were each awarded with a G-Shock watch for their commitment and effort for their active involvement in performances with Martial House throughout the CNY period. The awardees were: CNY Performance Crew Most Valuable Performer: Neville Cheong Best Performance Item: Yap Zheng Yan – Nine Section Whip Most Outstanding Performance Leader: Yap Wei Ren Most Versatile Performer: Nigel Cheong Best Newcomer: Caston Lim 2c7f20c6ae7500aec0bf222d18ba752d Once again, a super big thank you to all Martial House Stars for your active involvement, selfless sacrifices and valuable contributions! Martial House would also like to thank our trusted partner, Hour Boutique (S) Pte Ltd for co-sponsoring the G-Shock watches. IMG_1040 If you are a Martial House Star Card member, simply flash your card to to enjoy additional 10% discount for Seiko, Deep Blue & Michel Herbelin watches and/or additional 5% discount for Casio G-Shock watches! Hour Boutique is located at 3 Coleman Street, Peninsula Shopping Centre, #01-31, Singapore 179804. Click here to visit Hour Boutique’s website.

#Throwback: Martial House February Frenzy

6c873531083f102d136b75ce622db433 February was indeed a frenzy month for Martial House! Besides the action-packed CNY week and Chingay Parade 2016, the second-half of the month was fulfilling too! 1. Hong Bao Presentation cum Lunar New Year Celebration 2016 (12 February 2016) IMG_0753 On 12 February 2016, Martial House was invited to put up a Wushu performance at the Hong Bao Presentation cum Lunar New Year Celebration 2016, organised by the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) and Seacare Manpower Services Pte Ltd, with Mr. Lim Swee Say, Minister for Manpower as the guest-of-honour. The Martial House Stars who delivered a spectacular performance were: a. Yap Wei Ren b. Jessen Tan c. Ng Teck Hong d. Seow Wei Kai e. Yap Yuan Xin f. Ellie Tay g. Travier Wong h. Joey Boo i. Caston Lim j. Cynthia Tan 2. Chinese New Year Gala 2016 @ Resorts World Sentosa (12 February 2016) 230a41ce8f7ad7a3573c6a36a5b53919 After weeks of hard work, the Martial House Stars took on the big stage to perform at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS)! A total of 10 performers, led by Martial House choreographers Eric Wan & Gordon Choy, were involved in two items, namely: The Grand Opening Performance a. Yap Zheng Yan b. Yap Wei Ren c. Neville Cheong d. Nigel Cheong Little Monkeys Performance a. Issac Evan Peh b. Joshua Goh c. Shannon Lee d. Devni Chamodya Kaluarachchi e. Xavier Wong f. Benjamin Ong a4ab4c381cf3c1fa63ad7d0668aaa96f It was indeed a great honour for the Martial House team to work with the creative team and in-house performers from RWS! This was especially for the opening item whereby the Wushu performers showcased their moves in dark with their customised illuminated costumes and weapons! 3. Whampoa Chinese New Year Celebration 2016 (12 February 2016) On the same evening, the students from the Wushu team of Hong Wen School were invited to perform at a CNY dinner event at Kallang Community Club. Under the guidance of Martial House Coach Timothy Chan and the teachers, a total of 18 student performers put up an impressive Wushu performance that won the applauses of the audiences! IMG_0773 After the performance, it was a great pleasure for the team to snap a picture with Mr. Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State (Prime Minister’s Office) & MP for Jalan Besar GRC (Whampoa), who was the guest-of-honour for the evening. 4. The Sheng Siong Show – Season Finale (20 February 2016) 20 February 2016 marks the season finale of the Sheng Siong Show. Over the past weeks, the Martial House Stars have been part of the lucky draw segment under the guidance of the coaches, Jessen Tan & Seow Wei Kai. They were: a. Leo Yi Long b. Desmond Ong c. Tok Ee Chern d. Tristan Yeo IMG_0942 Martial House would like to thank the organisers for having us to be part of the show! Not forgetting the parents who have been accompanying these kids for their rehearsals and performances, a big thank you for your time, effort and dedication! Hope that this experience was a memorable one for all! 5. Wushu Performance @ Thomson Plaza (21 February 2016) IMG_0955 Once again, the Martial House Stars were back to display some of their impressive moves for the shopper at Thomson Plaza! The performers were: a. Emily Sin b. Yap Zhen Yan c. Leo Yi Long d. Travier Wong e. Caston Lim This performance also marked the end of the CNY 2016 series. If you would like to engage Martial House for performances, kindly send your queries via email to [email protected].

Martial House @ Chingay Parade 2016

3e24cfff4172fc569dc6ce39018d5bb4 Once again, Martial House is privileged to be part of the national event, Chingay Parade! The parade is also the largest street performance and float parade in Asia! This year, Martial House was involved in a variety of segments include the pre-parade and the main show segments. 3cfc52240fcedf848a0da7e6f5494298 During the pre-parade segment, the dynamic twin brothers, Nigel & Neville Cheong wore the LED costumes and flew up the night sky to deliver an aerial performance with flags. The aerial act may seem graceful and easy but in fact, it requires a lot of strength and coordination especially when the wind is much stronger at the top. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Irx8_IarsJg Besides the pre-parade, the twins, along with the other participants from Martial House, were also part of the third segment, “Friendship all over the World”. In the segment, the participants collaborated with the performers from Fujian Song and Dance Theatre to present the magnificent act “The Dream of Maritime Silk Road”! IMG_1300 The item was made possible by the artistic directors, including Gordon Choy, Kevan Cheah and Xue Yong Zhi from Martial House, as well as various behind-the-scene warriors who have worked hard to coordinate the performance! eaaeecd44d070d32ea480e97960ddbbc During the “250 Big Sisters Celebrate Chinese New Year” act in second segment, “Sun Wu Kong” made an appearance. Do you know that the “Sun Wu Kong” was actually Martial House Choreographer & Artistic Director, Gordon Choy! His cheeky rendition of “Sun Wu Kong” has indeed brought fun and laughter to the audiences! 12647415_10153435176003129_39042371612065061_n Chingay Parade 2016 was indeed a fun and exciting journey for the Martial House family! Martial House would like to thank all participants, parents and coaches for the effort and dedication to make this performance a success! 5862dca332f808fc221dda616af01ab2 If you have missed Chingay Parade 2016, click here to watch it on Toggle.