This is the single most-asked question we get from parents researching DSA-Dance. The honest answer is “it depends” — but the dependencies are knowable, and most parents make the decision without understanding them.
We’ve helped students prepare for both ballet-led and Chinese-dance-led DSA auditions. Here’s what we’d ask you to think about before locking in a genre.
How many schools accept each?
This is what most parents ask first. The school distribution:
Ballet (Modern Dance with ballet base) accepted at: – Methodist Girls’ School – Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (International Dance — ballet-led) – Raffles Girls’ School (Talent stream) – Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School – Multiple CHIJ schools – St Joseph’s Convent
Chinese Dance accepted at: – Nanyang Girls’ High School (the flagship) – Crescent Girls’ School (both Chinese and Modern streams) – Dunman High (IP) – Nanhua High – Multiple CHIJ schools – River Valley High (some years)
By pure school count, ballet currently has slightly more open doors. But “more schools” isn’t the right metric. Fit matters more.
Time commitment
A serious ballet track (RAD Grade 5+ by P6) requires roughly 2-3 weekly classes from around age 6 onwards. That’s 8-10 years of sustained training. The grade exams cost money each year, and the studios that do them well are not the cheapest.
A serious Chinese dance track is usually similar in weekly time commitment but the formal-grade infrastructure is less standardised in Singapore — you’re more likely to rely on a strong studio or school CCA rather than a graded syllabus.
Cost (rough)
For ballet over the P1-P6 period, families we’ve spoken to spend somewhere in the range of S$8,000-S$25,000 in studio fees, exam fees, and recital costumes. The wide range reflects studio choice and grade pace.
For Chinese dance over the same period, the range is roughly S$4,000-S$15,000 — formal exams are optional and there are more affordable studio options.
What the audition looks like at each
Ballet auditions test: – Barre and centre technique (battement, adage, pirouette) – A prepared solo (1-1.5 min) – Coachability — they teach a combination and watch how you absorb it
Chinese dance auditions test: – Basics: shen yun (body method), zhuan (turns), basic combinations – A prepared piece — ideally with cultural specificity – Pick-up speed — they teach a new combination and assess how fast you learn
The skills overlap less than parents assume. A strong ballerina will not necessarily nail a Chinese dance audition (and vice versa).
Which is “easier” to get into?
Schools that accept Chinese dance via DSA receive fewer applications per slot than the top ballet-accepting schools (MGS, SCGS, RGS in particular are among the most-competitive DSA-Dance routes in Singapore). So on raw numbers, Chinese dance can be a less-crowded route.
But — there’s still an audition. A weak Chinese dance candidate doesn’t get a place at NYGH just because there’s “less competition.” Schools still apply their own bar.
How to decide
Three honest questions:
- Which one does your daughter enjoy? If she lights up in Chinese dance class and complains every week about ballet, that answers a lot. The audition reads temperament.
- Which schools are you targeting? If MGS or SCGS is the dream school, ballet is the path. If NYGH or Crescent, Chinese dance opens more doors at those specific schools.
- What’s her timeline? Starting in P3 gives you flexibility. Starting in P5 means picking one and committing.
What we’d say if you’re starting today (P3-P4)
If your daughter is 8-9 and has no strong genre preference yet, try both for 6 months. Most studios offer trial periods. By month 6 you’ll know which she gravitates to. Don’t force the decision before then.
What we’d say if she’s already in P5/P6
Don’t switch genres now. If she has 4+ years of one and you’re tempted to chase a “more strategic” route — don’t. The audition will see the gap immediately. Commit to the genre she knows and prepare hard within it.
How we help
If you’d like help thinking through the choice for your specific child, book a free 20-minute consultation with us. No sales pitch — we’ll look at her current training and your target schools and give you a realistic read.
