Artistic Director
Kuo Po
Kuo Po (M.Ed) - DSA Specialist and Speaker
Since 2010, founder of The DSA Specialists, Kuo Po, has successfully guided and coached primary school students and their parents to prepare for the Direct School Admission process into their choice secondary school.
Kuo Po started out as a frontliner and solo singer in the music industry. From the early days, she understood the notion of standing out and thus chose to make saxophone her instrument which made her unique as a performer. From the 90s she claimed the title of being Asia’s only singer-saxophonist. This led her to acquire many opportunities as the Singapore Tourism Board hired her to represent Singapore in many overseas performances. She traveled to exotic places like Cairo, Bahrain, Mumbai and other cities performing, meeting people and learning the cultures. Kuo Po’s creative spirit and leadership led her to become a producer and director for many 1st in shows : the first Singapore Wine And Jazz Festival (2010); Singapore’s very first International Kids Performing Festival (2008 and 2011) which showcased young talents in world class venues such as the Esplanade Theatres by the Bay and Yong Siew Toh Concert Hall; first group of children singing and dancing to big band swing and jazz standards. JazzKids, went on to win 4 gold medals at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. As a devoted mentor, Kuo Po remains committed to nurturing emerging talents, emphasizing the importance of hands-on experiences and a robust portfolio. Her protégés performed for milestone events in Singapore. This included Singapore Evening for World Leaders 2009 at the Esplanade, Asean Tourism Dinner Gala , HOMETEAM 50th Anniversary show, National Day Parades including the opening broadcast act of National Day Parade show 2023. She also curated programs to take her students overseas. They have since performed in Hong Kong, San Francisco, London , Los Angeles, Paris, Sydney, and New York. Anticipating the demands of the evolving DSA process, she assumed a pioneering role, devising a pedagogical approach that empowers students not only to exhibit their skills but also to articulate their individuality during interviews and auditions. The impressive success rate of over 95% within her DSA program stands as a testament to the effectiveness of her methodology. In a landscape characterized by ever-shifting demands, Kuo Po leads The DSA Specialists with a resolute vision. The organization is dedicated to empowering students to "Stand Out" and ultimately "Be Outstanding." Under Kuo Po's guidance, the team navigates the intricate realm of DSA with a commitment to excellence, equipping students with the tools they need to shine brightly in their academic journey.
Senior Trainer - Communication and Acting
Desmond Sim
Desmond has had vast professional experience in playwriting with published works such as Six Plays and student plays ( Epigram Books, 2013), Mistress and other creative take offs amongst other works.
His teaching experiences has included guest lecturing at Temasek Design School ( 2003-2016) & Lasalle College of the Arts (2008-2016).He also had several works produced by KL Performing Arts Centre from 2010- 2013.
He has held more than a dozen art exhibitions and won several national prizes for theatre (such as Play of the year, Best original Script , Autumn Tomyum) and short story and poetry writing.
Senior Trainer - Communication / Acting
Victoria A. Chen
Victoria's passion lies in nurturing life skills such as creative thinking and communication, while also fostering self-esteem and compassion in children. Her enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and constantly challenging the status quo reflects her commitment to education and empowering individuals to unlock their full potential.
Victoria excels in wearing the hat of a drama practitioner, bringing her extensive experience in Early Childhood/Montessori and Special Education to her teaching, acting, and directing roles. Her versatility in pedagogy is evident as she has successfully taught drama and directed plays in multiple schools. Moreover, she has provided valuable coaching to candidates pursuing LAMDA's Introductory Stages, Verse and Prose, Speaking in Public, as well as Trinity College London's Communication Skills, Speech and Drama, and Acting certifications. Apart from education, Victoria wears the drama practitioner hat in teaching, acting, and directing. She has taught drama and directs plays in numerous schools, and coached candidates in LAMDA’s Introductory Stages, Verse and Prose, Speaking in Public, as well as Trinity College London’s Communication Skills, Speech and Drama, and Acting certifications. Victoria has performed in theatre festivals both local and international, such as National Heritage Board’s bus-theatre experience, Buses and Rides, Singapore Heritage Festivals, and Egypt Theatre festival.
Trainer- Dance
Gabrielle Lee
Gabrielle is a dancer with over 20 years of training in ballet, contemporary, tap, andjazz. Having completed the Intermediate Foundation certificate from the RoyalAcademy of Dance, her strong ballet background allows her to impart propertechnique to provide her students with a solid foundation in dance.
Her experience in dancing on both international and national stages has alsoequipped her with high-level performance techniques to improve performancequality and production value. She has worked under renowned local choreographerssuch as Shahbirul Zaki Ahmad and Dan Kwoh, assisting them during training andhelping students improve performance techniques. Additionally, Gabrielle herselfhas choreographed numerous contemporary items, giving her experience ineffectively training dancers in both technique and emoting through movement. Gabrielle has led multiple dance teams in various performances, from internationalcompetitions to national performances, achieving First Prize in the Ethnic andContemporary Dance categories at the Dance Grand Prix Barcelona 2013. Theseexperiences have given her leadership skills and expertise in managing dancetroupes that she can apply in the classroom and during performances
Voice Trainer
May Jayashanker
May is one of the handful of vocal trainers to have mastered both Indian and Western classical and pop stylings.
Born in a musical family and raised in a multicultural society, May is able to sing and teach in various different languages mainly English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
Her techniques have been well received for many years, and led to the accomplishments of many young talents, some of them serial winners of competitions, in this region - American Protege, Muse International Music Competition, Asia Arts Festival to name a few.
She also trains students for DSA (Direct School Admission-Singing), ABRSM, Trinity Musical Theatre, LCM pop vocal.
She is passionate in sharing her expertise and care to groom the next generation of great vocalists.