For street dance coach and choreographer Ahmad Kamil, dancing has always been in his blood. With a mother who was a dancer and a father in theatre, the performing arts came naturally to him.
Having his first taste of dance through Malay dance in kindergarten, Kamil discovered his passion for movement in his teenage years after performing an item during a school event.
“From an early age, I was quite exposed to the arts… Right after my first school performance, I started to get into dance more. I found that the choreography was really fun to do,” said the 33-year-old. It was also during this time that he found his first sense of community in the dance scene, meeting his first crewmate, Jeremy Tan, now co-founder of the street dance academy Artistate.
Specialising in street dance, Kamil began competing in 2008 and even won a chance to train at renowned dance studio O School.
Finding His Crew
But what kept him dancing was the fun he had choreographing with his friends and learning new skills.
“With dance, I had friends that I could meet to dance together and find new skills to unlock,” he said. “After forming my first crew when I graduated from secondary school, we started diving into choreography a lot.”
An invitation to teach at Jakarta-based dance school Gigi Art Of Dance after his national service gave Kamil a chance to hone his dance skills in other forms, such as ballet and contemporary dance. More importantly, it helped him to find his own identity in the dance scene.
“That one year gave me new tools and helped me to find my identity as a creator and choreographer,” he said.
Birth of ‘saya’
Together with his experience as a director and choreographer for SIX.5 dance company and O School, Kamil came up with the idea for his own dance collective, ‘saya’ (Malay for “I” or “me”).
Established early last year, ‘saya’ was initially assembled for Korean dance competition HARU, but has since become a platform to develop new ideas and educate.
“It is meant to represent a philosophy, an approach to things that you do. And it is also a community that is focused on education and developing your skillset as a dancer,” Kamil explained, adding that members now include his ex-students from Temasek Polytechnic Dance Ensemble (TPDE) and National University of Singapore (NUS) Dance Blast!.
His work as a choreographer has also reaped results in the mega crew dance competition, Super 24, where he led both TPDE and NUS Dance Blast! to top two placings in the tertiary category, which has earned him respect from the local dance scene for his mentorship and artistic insight.
Pushing the Envelope
Having participated, coached and judged in the competition over the years, Kamil credits Super 24 for elevating the standards of the dance in Singapore.
“The level of risk-taking for choreographers has changed because we are exposed to overseas dance crews. We are quick to learn and apply it ourselves. The level of creativity and dance has increased over the years,” he said.
“There are a lot of emerging crews and a lot of talent that has been developed, and a lot of younger dancers are really good from a young age. The choreography has matured. There is so much complexity and depth in every single team, even at the younger age groups.”
Kamil also feels that the event is an iconic fixture in the local dance scene, representing a piece of “Singaporean identity”.
“There’s no other competition like it… It’s a nice part of the local dance scene’s identity. I want to pass on the feeling of competing in S24 to others – the process of getting the piece done and appreciating the journey.”
A standout memory was in 2023 when his TPDE team was locked in a top-two battle with Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
“Some of our opponents were former members of TPDE. They became lead dancers at SIT, and to see them becoming leaders there was a nice thing to see. I was pleased to see them continue their role and continue to bring value,” he shared.
Arena Lights, Big Dreams
Over multiple editions, Super 24 has also seen a flurry of venue changes with ITE College West, Our Tampines Hub, Orchard Road, Takashimaya, *SCAPE and even Suntec Convention Hall hosting the annual tournament.
But it found its way to the Singapore Sports Hub with both the OCBC Arena and Singapore Indoor Stadium playing host in recent years.
“When it was held at OCBC Arena or Singapore Indoor Stadium, it felt like a sports event. When you go in, the audience is seated in an arena-like venue. This makes the whole competition feel more alive. The audience is close to the action. It’s a whole other feeling.”
“It feels so grand, and it feels like we are putting the dancers as the heroes of the whole event… It shows them that they are worth it.”
Kamil still remembers when the 12,000-seater arena was slated to host the event.
“For the first time, to have a standalone dance event as the highlight of the space, it was a real privilege and a milestone,” he said.
Set to judge the primary category finals and the secondary category qualifiers, Kamil is eager for participants to experience the grandeur of the venue.
“Parents, family and friends can see that dance is not just for fun, but there’s a potential to bring your child further, a chance for a career.”
“It is a stamp of approval. When parents see their child perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where people are paying to watch, there's value in the production, and you can see people cheering; it's another step towards making dance seen as a viable and sustainable career.”
Catch the energy, artistry and diversity on display at the Super 24 dance competition and witness top dancers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and beyond light up the stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Grab your tickets here now.
