What will you be looking out for in this competition?
With my background in musical theatre, I'll be looking out for musicality and personality, expressiveness and people who are creative.

What are the attributes of a good dancer?
(He is) someone who is able to dance from the inside out. Somebody who is relaxed and they sparkle on stage. You instantly just spot them in a group of people. That's what I call the X-factor when it comes to dancing. Humility is important. That will get you far.

How can contestants expect from you as a judge?
I will try to be as helpful as I can. I will help them move on in the competition or if they are not good enough, offer them advice that maybe this is good enough for a hobby and not a career. judge the dance and not the person. So I'm hoping that people will not see me as disrespectful.

Are there talented dancers in Singapore?
Many people have said that we don't really have the talent here. But ultimately, a good dancer is a dancer with a lot of passion, a lot of confidence who is able to show off the best side of himself. There are also a lot of talented dancers here — technical people here who will come to the competition.

How do you feel about your fellow judges?
We've just gotten to know each other and we've not really started to work with each other yet. First impressions? Very good! Everybody is very outspoken, everybody speaks their mind. No one is reserved.

What are some big no-nos on the dance floor?
Humility is important. So you want somebody who comes in and is willing to work hard. Who shows you what they do by what they do and not by words.

What advice would you give to contestants?
Work very hard. It's gonna be a competition where there's gonna be glitz, grit, determination, hard work, sweat and tears. Be prepared for all these things that come your way. You've got to be open-minded because it's not a strict dance show where you come in and do what you are comfortable with. Be ready to break out of your comfort zone and do more than that.

What is your favourite dance form?
Because of my background in musical theatre, I have been exposed to many dance forms but my fave would be jazz and specifically Bob Fosse style of jazz. Very sensual dancing, yeah!

Which dance would you not be caught dead performing?
Aiyah … anything alcohol-induced! (laughs)

What, to you, is the most challenging dance form?
I personally would say classical ballet because I'm not very good at it. I'm making a confession here. (laughs) I'm not heavily good at it and it's one of the hardest dance forms to learn. It's very strict and very precise.

What was your proudest moment as a dancer?
I spent years in Holland working on Chicago . The proudest moment was to get into the show because it was one of the toughest shows to get into. I was chosen to be one of the seven dancers among a group of more than 600 — the only Asian dancer picked out and positively reviewed in the papers. It's not easy for an Asian dancer like me with no formal training. Back then, we sort of learn on the job. You picked up what you can. It also offers you the hunger to go on looking for more.

What was your biggest sacrifice as a dancer?
All my torn muscles! Yeah, the injuries I would say.