Beyond the Group: Additional Items & More
Being on the Competition Team is often thought of as "joining a huge group", but that's only one part of it. Here's a closer look at the other categories and opportunities that come along with it, and what each one actually trains.
Solo
A solo is exactly what it sounds like, one dancer, the full stage, no one to sync with and nowhere to hide. It's the category that demands the most from a dancer individually.
What it trains: Full ownership of a performance, from musicality to stage presence to recovering from a mistake without anyone to lean on. A dancer's individual technique, artistry, and personality all get put under the spotlight, literally.
How it's different from a group number: In a group, a dancer's job includes staying in sync with everyone else, energy and timing are shared responsibilities. In a solo, every choice on stage is entirely theirs. There's nowhere for inconsistency to hide, but there's also nowhere for a dancer's own artistry to hide either.
Duo/Trio
A duo or trio sits in between, a small enough group that chemistry and precision matter enormously, but still a partnership rather than a solo spotlight.
What it trains: Tight, close-range synchronization, since with only two or three dancers, even a slightly-off count is immediately visible. It also trains a different kind of connection, dancers often need to actually perform with and to each other, not just alongside each other.
How it's different from a group number: A large group can absorb one dancer being slightly off. A duo or trio can't, every movement is exposed. It requires trusting one or two specific partners deeply, rather than syncing to a whole formation.
Ensemble / Group Act
This is the category most people picture, a full team performing together, built on formations, spacing, and collective energy.
What it trains: Accountability to the group, spatial awareness, and the ability to contribute to something bigger than an individual performance. Dancers learn to read the room, adjust to the people around them, and trust that the formation works because everyone is doing their part.
How it's different from solo or duo/trio: The individual becomes part of a larger picture. A slightly imperfect moment can be carried by the group, but it also means a dancer's job includes actively supporting everyone else's performance, not just their own.
(Do note that to be awarded the opportunity to join additional items are for the competition coaches to decide. They will take into account your child’s attitude, capabilities and commitment.)
Overseas Immersion Programmes
Beyond competition categories, our Competition Team dancers get access to an overseas immersion programme, an annual opportunity that's taken our dancers to Korea and Japan over the past two years (and many more great countries before that).
What it trains: Adaptability and exposure. Training in a different dance culture, often alongside dancers from other countries, pushes our dancers out of their usual routine and into new teaching styles, new peers, and new performance environments. It's a different kind of growth than anything a local studio can offer.
Acrobatic Training
Comp team dancers also have access to dedicated acrobatic training, building the strength, flexibility, and tricks that add another performance dimension.
What it trains: Physical capability that supports (but is separate from) dance technique, tumbling, flexibility, and body control that can be woven into choreography for an extra visual impact.
Exclusive Access to Guest Instructors
For special programmes like our previous LUMINA Showcase and our upcoming IMPEL event, Competition Team dancers get access to train directly under renowned guest instructors, a level of mentorship and exposure that goes beyond a typical weekly class.
What it trains: Exposure to different teaching styles, choreography approaches, and industry perspectives, learning directly from instructors at the top of their field, even if only for a short, intensive session.
The Bigger Picture
Every one of these, solo, duo/trio, ensemble, overseas immersion, acrobatics, and guest instructor sessions, trains something a regular weekly class doesn't get to. Together, they're what turn a strong dancer into a well-rounded one: someone who can hold a stage alone, sync tightly with a partner, contribute to a group, adapt to a totally different training environment, and pick up new skills from instructors outside their usual circle.
How to Get Started
To locate our nearest school, view here: https://www.5thavenue.com.sg/location
To book a trial class, view here: https://www.5thavenue.com.sg/trial
For general enquiries:
call +65 6565 6368 or email enquiries@5thavenue.com.sg.
Auditions for both mvAVE and DFK Junior & Teens Competition Teams are happening 9 November 2026 (Monday). Do check out these pages for more information on auditions and training schedules. We'd love to see your dancer on that stage next.
(mvAVE Hip Hop Junior & Teens Team)
(DFK Kpop Junior & Teens Team)
For enquiries, please email us at mvave@5thavenue.com.sg
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