This mum in Singapore played Just Dance for fun and is now in the finals at Olympic Esports Week 2023

Online dance games like Just Dance may have started off as a fun activity but it’s become an avenue for e-sports players like Siti Zhywee Ramle to showcase their dancing abilities on a global scale. Siti is representing Singapore in the finals of the 2023 Olympic Esports Series.

The 38-year-old fitness instructor has been involved in e-sports, specifically dance, for the last 10 years but started giving the e-sport more focus and attention last year.

“Since becoming a mother, I haven’t had much time to do anything,” Siti told Berita. “But I dabbled in Just Dance. I participated in online competitions and even got impressive scores.”

Just Dance is a video game that requires players to mimic the dance moves of characters on the screen. Scores are given to players based on their accuracy in imitating the character’s dance moves.

She did not anticipate that her passion for the dancing video game would lead her to the global e-sports stage. So it came as a surprise when she received a phone call from Ubisoft Singapore, an online game development company, asking if she was interested in participating in the Olympic Esports Series competition. 

“At first, I wasn't sure, but I knew it was a golden opportunity," said Siti, who eventually accepted. 

She is one of 17 athletes from virtual sports – including taekwondo, shooting, motorsport, dance, archery and chess – who will compete for Singapore in the 2023 Olympic Esports Series finals, the main highlight of the Olympic Esports Week. 

Siti is among the eight finalists in the dance category (Just Dance) and will compete against other e-sports athletes from France, Brazil, the United States, Finland, India and Italy.

She will compete in person on Friday (Jun 23) at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

BALANCING FAMILY TIME WITH PROFESSIONAL AND PASSION PURSUITS

Siti admitted that it is challenging to divide her time between her job as a full-time fitness instructor, her husband, and her children.

"My job requires a lot of physical energy,” she told Berita. “I teach Zumba, Fight Do, Yoga, and more, three or four times a day. I also have to take care of my two children during this school vacation period, and one of them has special needs, so I need to give him extra attention.”

In order not to neglect spending time with her family while training for the competition, she involved her five-year-old son, Zhafeer, in her Just Dance training sessions at home by getting him to dance along with her. 

"My husband has taken on more responsibilities during this time by taking care of the children or playing with them,” said Siti. “My family, friends, and students have also shown me lots of support.”

The flexible nature of e-sports has also allowed her to stay actively involved in the field.

"If you dance in real life, usually students have to go to the studio location, and they need more time to reach the studio from home or work, and there is also a coach to provide assistance,” she said.

“In the virtual realm, you are free to dance at home, no one sees you, and you can choose your own song and dance style.”

PUSHING AWAY NEGATIVE COMMENTS  

As she trains for her Just Dance e-sports competition, Siti also had to combat cynical remarks from the online community regarding her age – she is the oldest e-sports player from Singapore.  

“There are negative comments like, ‘This competition is for young people, why are adults like you participating?’” Siti said. “But these words don’t dampen my spirit. I hope that by being a part of this competition, I can inspire mothers out there and the women of my generation to pursue what they want.”

Siti also hopes to raise more awareness about e-sports as a game, sport and competition. 

“During this event, I will strive to match the expertise of the previous years’ winners,” said Siti. “But I will also give my best performance for the enjoyment of other participants and the public.”

The original version of this story was first published in Berita.

Read this story in Bahasa Indonesia here.