Jumping Jewels / President Star Charity

President's Star Charity live show 11th Oct 2009

Days after the Jumping Jewels won One Minute of Fame on 1st August I got a call from a director of the President Star Charity live show on TV. Mediacorp was interested to have the Jumping Jewels perform with actors on the live show. We discussed the possibilities and the rest is history.

Starting with 3 practices, which Mediacorp calls rehearsals, we eventually got 5 practices. After the third practice everyone started to panic as the actors could not properly skip the routine. So I had to rethink the concept of the routine. Changing the music and choreography to fit the actors ability we finished the routine in the next two practices. There were 2 days of camera/full dress rehearsals that we could get a little more practices in. Between practices with the actors the Jumping Jewels did their preparation diligently. They started carrying their books to study between practice downtimes as this was exam time for all of them including one PSLE and an 'O' levels.

8 year olds Tiffany and Chloe where selected from about 35 girls to join the Jewels for this project. Their ability to follow such detailed work stems from them attending rope skipping PE modules and rope skipping enrichment classes at their school.

The Jumping Jewels met President Nathan and Mrs Nathan at the reception after the show. Mrs Nathan asked who is the girl who did the freestyle saying it was very nice and President Nathan asked who is the coach and so I got to shake hands with the president. This high profile awareness of Jumping Jewels rope skipping will have positive reverberations for rope skipping in Singapore. This is evident from a newspaper report that says the Jumping Jewels air-time garnered the most donation pledges of all the local acts on the President Star Charity show.

We are delighted that our enthusiasm for our sport have benefitted the beneficiaries and stature of rope skipping. The Jumping Jewels are enjoying this new conciousness as the team have a attire/equipement brand sponsor and have been invited to another high profile project.

Jumping Jewels coach

News coverage of President's Star Charity live show here

Snapshot of President's Star Charity

The videos

Mediacorp's President's Star Charity live show media conference
at Oosh restaurant on 30th Sept

Some of the performers and production crew of the President Star Charity. This photo appeared in many publications.

The Jumping Jewels where asked to perform the opening act at 2.30pm so we arrived at 12.45noon so we could try the floor before anyone came. Everyone had to get of school early so we all missed lunch. Vincent who was in charge of the media conference got us some mini-burgers. Just the plate left.

It was very challenging skipping with bright sun in our eyes and on a real hot day. Here we are in our signature fusion move.

Larry Haydn, our professional photographer capture this high frog move forever. He took most of the photos at this media conference.

The Jumping Jewels put on a sizzling performance to the delight of both media companies, Mediacorp and SPH.

Michelle Chia interveiwing the Jumping Jewels after we performed the opening act.

With Adrian Pang, co-host with Michelle on the show and Nat Ho.

With Dawn Yeoh, one of the 6 actors that will rope skip with us at the President Star Charity live show. This photo appeared on a chinese newpaper.

With Pat Mok who never stop talking. Fun person.

Kym Ng a consummate pro.

Michelle Chong could not climb stairs for two days after the first skipping practice with us.

Jade Seah in a white baby doll dress.

The dancers from O-school who performed the closing Micheal Jackson medley act.

Some of the B-boys from Floor Technique.

Rancour band

When we arrived today the Oosh sign behind us was still on the lorry. Now we are about to leave the workers are still planting it in the ground. The Jumping Jewels, - Oosh!

Left the media conference at about 4pm. Hungry, went to Burger King.

Shooting the trailer for the President Star Charity, 24th Sept 2.30pm to 6pm

Met our camera man at Mediacorp at 2.30pm and we took a minivan to Senkang because he wanted to capture the heartlands. So here we are on the pavement jumping over and over again in the hot 3pm sun for at least 25 minutes!

Next location was on the big pedestrian brigde at Chinatown. Difficult to get good footage here because of the shadows and people everywhere.

Needed a few close-ups so did that back at Mediacorp carpark.

It was about 6pm by the time we where at the Mediacorp taxi stand on the way home. It was an interesting fun hot day. We were full of anticipation to see how the cameraman would put together the footage to produce the trailer. He was also the film editor for the trailer. All he could tell us is there would be two versions one with more Jumping Jewels and the other with more boys, the Floor Technique team.

The practices with the 6 actors, Kim, Pat, Jade, Dawn, Indra and Michelle

The actors being debriefed after the 2nd pratice.

End of 2nd practice.

Ater the third practice we redesigned the choreography to be do-able in two practices. 8 year old Chloe and Tiffany seen here at our 4th practice were added to the line up.

The 4th practice was at Mediacop's TV theater foyer which was carpeted, dimly lit with no aircon. Nonertheless spirits were high at the end of the 3 hour practice as seen from this picture before we went home at 10.30pm. We had just about finished the redesigned routine.

We started the 5th practice by giving the actors a linament rub down of their feet and calves to help them skip better. This really helped as expected and we got a good last practice at the Medicorp dance studio.

Full dress rehearsal on 10th October, 3pm to 5.30pm

Introducing the animated Michelle Chong and the Jumping Jewels.

Starting silhouette pose. Notice the unique long rope formation behind. We used custom made beaded long ropes that were highly visible for the actors and the cameras. It also made a loud crack sound when it hit the plastic panel floor which help keep our timing. The white floor pieces were taped on top and so affected the ropes giving us more to look out for while skipping.

While waiting for our turn to rehearse on stage we made use of the time to study at the theatre foyer. Four of us were in midst of exam including Ariel sitting for her PSLE and Rachel, her 'O' levels.

President Star Charity live show 11th October 7.30pm to 10pm

The Jumping Jewels in our holding room waiting for the live show to begin. We are seen hanging our legs to help circulation.

Moved all the chairs to the other side of the room and we rehearsed the routine twice. The CD player on the table the same one we bring around the world to practice with.

Adrian Pang announces Michelle Chong and the Jumping Jewels and we step down from the platform at back of stage.

The feeling to stand there for a moment is priceless.

Asking for donation pledges at the beginning of the show.

The first 8 counts of the routine is an original play with the beaded long ropes. These is the first time such long beaded ropes (20 feet) are used in a performance in Singapore.

The Chinese wheel traveller routine was real difficult for the actors do to and when we did it this night the feeling was so great.

You can see the front piece of Jade's blouse momentarily cover her face. Luckily she was holding hands if the baby Jewels, Chloe and Tiffany's to keep her in the jump.

Are you alright . . . .Aidah?

International pop star Coco Lee.

After the show on the stage with Floor Techniques Crew.

Rhythm 'n' Moves who did the Wushu act.

Friends Vivian, Evangeline and Esmeralda came to watch.

The reception after the show at the theatre foyer. Really packed. Food was great.

The artistic director of the show, the brilliant Bill Calhoun.

Ariel sharing a moment with the charismatic Lucas Chow, CEO of Mediacorp and equally charming Ho Kwon Ping, Chairman of Mediacorp.

More sharing, this time with Mrs S R Nathan. She wanted to know who was skipping the freestyle saying it was very nice.

Fabian, the boy said on the show he liked the skipping act the best.

The Unlimited Beatles is the name on their drums. They have been together for 20 years. I guess that is why they are called Unlimited Beatles.

President S R Nathan with the fabulous Jumping Jewels as Adrian Pang announced us.

Our coach shaking hands with President Nathan for a job well done. Rachel looks on.

Parents who came to witness this momentous evening.

Changing our security passes for our IDs at about 11pm satisfied that we contributed to the less fortunate and we had a chance to show Singapore our brand of rope skipping. Tomorrow exams.

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