Moonwalk to gold: Michael Jackson powers Avery Tan to NSG rhythmic gymnastics title

SINGAPORE – As Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson echoed through the Bishan Sports Hall, Avery Tan made a composed, theatrical entrance, moonwalking onto the mat to begin her rhythmic gymnastics ball routine.

In fitting fashion, the CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School student “killed” the routine, delivering a commanding performance to win the National School Games (NSG) B Division ball event on April 16.

This helped her complete her sweep of all four categories, having won the hoop event less than two hours earlier, and both the ribbon and clubs titles on April 14.

With a total score of 92.033, she was crowned the all-around champion, ahead of Raffles Girls’ School’s (RGS) Sara Kok who took silver with 83.633 points. Avery’s teammates Kyra Guwe (81.283) and Ho Hsuen (78.916) finished third and fourth respectively. 

Prior to the ball routine, Avery admitted she was not very familiar with the American pop icon.

She has since grown to appreciate her coach’s music choice, noting that “the music really mattered a lot”, adding that it became her favourite routine of the day.

“When you have more energetic songs, your movements can match the music. So if the music is upbeat, your movements will also be happier and lighter,” said the 14-year-old.

Avery also developed a deeper sense of admiration for Jackson’s artistry, drawing inspiration from his sharp, precise movements and incorporating that level of execution into her performance.

“For the artistry part, if you have a specific character, then you can also act like that character, like Michael Jackson (does).”

Her remarkable performance this season also marks an improvement from 2025, when she placed second in the C Division all-around championship.

Reflecting on her progress, Avery explained that “from last year to this year, I was able to control my emotions much better”.

In March, she was also selected for the national junior squad, marking a milestone of her rhythmic gymnastics journey which started in Primary 1.

In the C Division, RGS’ Kayla Low bounced back from a growth spurt injury sustained in late 2025 to claim the all-around title on her NSG secondary division debut.

She emerged victorious with 83.683 points, ahead of Singapore Sports School’s Leanne Chi (83.349), while her RGS teammate Talia Ng (80.049) was third, with St Nicholas’ Cassadee Wong (79.916) fourth.

The Secondary 1 student explained that her growth spurt affected her knee and ankle, adding: “There was a period of time where I couldn’t jump a lot... It’s like a sharp pain inside.”

As a result, Kayla had to adapt many of her movements and modify her techniques to reduce strain on the affected areas. At the same time, she drew inspiration from her mother, who had completed a marathon in 2025 despite suffering a calf injury.

“She didn’t give up. Even though she hurt her calf, she still persevered,” said Kayla. “If mummy can do it, then so can I.”

Her mum’s words – “people will get hurt sometimes, but it’s just the process of becoming better” – helped Kayla stay resilient throughout her recovery.

In the overall team competition, St Nicholas emerged as B Division champions with 115.724 points, ahead of RGS (110.966) and CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh), who scored 55.083 points.

RGS topped the C Division championships with 115.358 points, ahead of St Nicholas (109.291). With only four schools competing, no third-place finish was awarded.