Quality time with your BFF

 

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Let’s face it, through all the movies watched and cafes hopped with your BFF, you’ve wished to become an iconic superhero at least once. But where do we learn about the magic of perception like in Now You See Me, or the secrets to Harley Quinn’s killer body and crazy acrobatic skills?

Here are 10 super fun workshops in October 2016 you can attend with your BFF that’ll let you live your movie fantasies, and bring your friendship level up to super saiyan.

 

1. Learn to write romantic notes like in P.S. I Love You

 

brush lettering

Source: @mj.merle

Remember when P.S. I Love You and Dear John were all the rage? Learn basic brush lettering with PapeLineCo so that any letters you leave for your other half look extra meaningful.

Learn Brush Lettering - 8 Basic Strokes for Brush Calligraphy
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Learn Brush Lettering - 8 Basic Strokes for Brush Calligraphy

Sure, you can learn brush lettering from YouTube, but it’s not the same as having someone there to physically guide you along. Prepare your words and illustrate your own quotes at the workshop. While everyone else is still in the realm of basic texting, you’ve got brush lettered messages to your BFF. 

Book a slot with your BFF here

Price: Single $95, Pair $180
Date and Location: 8 October 2016, Saturday, 2pm – 4:30pm
Naiise @ Orchard Gateway, #02-24 (Somerset MRT)

 

2. Be Princess Ariel for a day at a mermaid school

 

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After watching The Little Mermaid and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it’s normal to wonder what it’s like being a full-fledged mermaid. Spoiler: it isn’t as easy as you may think! Book a lesson at Singapore’s first mermaid school and live a childhood fantasy, experiencing hours of being a mermaid.

Sensing The Mermaid Tail - Sense and Non-Sensibility EP12 w/ Vernetta Lopez
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Sensing The Mermaid Tail - Sense and Non-Sensibility EP12 w/ Vernetta Lopez

With Syrena, Singapore’s first mermaid, you’ll learn to swim safely and confidently with a mermaid tail. Plus, you’ll get to look totally fabulous while you work out!

Price: $440 for bronze level, 10% off if you sign up with BFF (Free mermaid tail rental)
Participants must be able to swim 20m unassisted and tread water for 20 seconds without mermaid tail
Date and Location: Wednesdays, 5, 12, 19 (Double Session), 26 Oct 7PM -8PM
Bukit Timah Area, TBC
RSVP thesingaporemermaid@gmail.com

 

3.  Learn to dance like Channing Tatum at the Esplanade

 

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From watching the Step Up movies to dancing to catchy K-Pop tunes, dance has the power to make a crowd go wow. If you’ve ever had dreams of popping some sick moves, head down to Stage@Powerhouse (Esplanade Waterfront) on the 15th October 2016.

dans

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As part of the 2016 da:ns festival, there will be mass dance sessions held at the Esplanade, where everyone is welcomed to join, whether you have 2 left feet or years of experience as a dancer.

From 7:45-8:45pm, attend a K-Pop dance session conducted by Celine Jessandra School of Performing Arts, Singapore’s leading K-Pop dance school. Then from 9:30-10:30pm, attend the hip-hop dance session by Danz People to learn how to groove like Channing Tatum.

[딘 - 풀어 (Dean - pour up)] Honey J's girls hiphop choreography
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[딘 - 풀어 (Dean - pour up)] Honey J's girls hiphop choreography

 

After a good workout, treat yourselves to watch Step Up for free IRL. The Sixteen Dance Challenge Performance Showcase will include Jay Park’s dancers and choreographers, Honey J and Z.Sun!

Price: Free
Date and Location: 15 Oct Sat 10:45pm, Stage @ Powerhouse Esplanade waterfront, 1 Esplanade Dr, 038981

 

4. Recreate your favourite titles with a Handlettering 101 workshop

 

handlettering

Source: @sdionbakerdesign

If you prefer drawing to single-stroke lines, Handlettering is the better option for you. With this new skill, you won’t be bored in classes or lectures, and the notes you pass to your BFF won’t read something lame like ‘I‘m bored’.

At this workshop held by Robynink, you’ll learn the basics of executing letterforms, layout and composition, develop your own personal style, and eventually create your own works of art like Seb Lester.

Price: Single $95, Single (student) $90, Student pair $175
Date and Location: 15 October 2016 Saturday, 1pm-3pm, Naiise @ Orchard Gateway, #02-24 (Nearest MRT: Somerset)

 

5. Grow an edible garden like Matt Damon on Mars

 

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If you’ve always wanted to grow some plants but never had enough space in your HDB, The Plant Story’s got your back, fam. Here, you’ll learn to grow terrariums and even edible gardens!

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Workshops are secured by appointment, at 11AM, 2:30PM, and 4:30PM. After an hour of gardening, you get to bring home your very own miniature garden, or edible garden, depending on which workshop you book. 

Price: Miniature Garden workshop (sustainable garden) $55, Urban Farm Workshop (grown own edible garden) $80. Bring your own materials and pay class fees from $10-$30
Location: The Plant Story @ Marina Bay, 11 Rhu Cross, #02-03 Singapore 437440
(Passion WaVe at Marina Bay)
Tel: 6348 8040 / 9722 0438
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm
Closed on Wednesday and major PH.

 

6. Learn fabric block printing and live like Little Nyonya

 

peranakan

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Remember the days when we’d collect chops in our exercise books on our spelling? Each week we’d open up the books to see what kind of chop we had – if it was a ‘good effort’ (⯑) , ‘perfect’ (⯑), or ‘you can do better’ (⯑).

A little closer to home is the Peranakan culture, popularised by The Little Nyonya. At this workshop, you’ll learn to transfer, carve, and print your own hand-made fabric with Peranakan inspired motifs. You get to take both your fabric and hand-carved block home for future use – for cards, clothing, or even matching BFF wallpapers.

Price: $75 inclusive of workshop materials and supplies, admission to Nyonya Needlework exhibition
Date and Location: 22 Oct 1pm – 4:30pm
Peranakan Museum, 39 Armenian Street Singapore 179941
Tel: +65 6336 2983
Book your slot here

 

7. Get Harley’s Killer Body and Killer Strength

 

Harley Quinn’s been everyone’s latest obsession, but how does someone locked up in Arkham for years still get such a fantastic figure and super strength? We don’t have the secret serum injections that Harley gets, but we can (almost) get the same results with Yoga on the water.

sup yoga

Source @supyogasingapore

sup yoga2

Source @supyogasingapore

Before you freak out about drowning out at sea, don’t worry – all participants are equipped with an anchor to their board, and you’ll only be 25m from shore. It helps that every review for SUP Yoga Singapore has so far been positive, too.

Bonus: if the sea conditions are safe, you get to drift with the gentle currents by the shore, and do a workout out at sea (to get the crazy from the workweek out of your system).

Price: $55 per person, Sessions conducted on Saturday late afternoons/early evenings. Minimum 4 people to start a class
Make reservation here
Location:
Ohana Beach House, 131 Pasir Ris Beack Park, Singapore 519148 
(Nearest carpark: Carpark E)

 

8. Learn to Parkour @ Superfly in case Train to Busan Happens IRL

 

Much to our parents’ dismay, we’ve all tried some form of parkour in our playgrounds and rooms as kids. The influence of parkour is found all over Hollywood- from District B13 to Casino Royale, and it’s also recently used as a handy way of running away from zombies.

 zombies

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But sometimes we don’t quite manage expectation and reality.  

parkour

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At Superfly, learn to parkour with power, balance, coordination, and out-of-the-box thinking so that you’ll be running away from danger, not into it. And you get a full body workout, too. First-timers get a special price upon checkout!

Price: Parkour: $25 per class, Parkour Family (for kids): $35 per class, Learn 2 Flip X: $75 per class
Location: Locations differ with classes booked. For location information, click here.

 

9. Level up your baking skills so you can get your Katniss Everdeen

 

mulberry sorbet

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Peeta isn’t the only baker in town. Graduate beyond the typical brownies and cheesecakes at Naiise at The Cathay, and learn to bake layered ice cream cakes and mulberry sorbets.

You’ll get to bring it home after you’re done, so your friends and family can sample your creations. Rest assured, there won’t be a Gordon Ramsay to hurl insults at you at this class!  

Price: $45
Date and Location: 18 Dec 2016, Naiise @ The Cathay (Dhoby Ghaut MRT), 2 Handy Road, The Cathay #B1-08, Singapore 229233
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 12pm-10pm

 

10. Challenge what you’ve thought of money through comedy and dance

 

dans1

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Passing by charity fundraisers at MRTs makes me think: how much money can I spare to help someone else? Martin Schick’s performance Halfbreadtechnique at the Esplanade for d:ans festival explores what it’s like for a regular person to give half of what he has to someone who needs it. The comedic performance provides an alternate perspective about balancing between doing good, generosity, and personal needs.

It’s also a great platform for you and your BFF to share perspectives with each other and with strangers on the topic of charity, and maybe meet enough people to plan a trip to help less fortunate groups.

 dans2

Source @kultursymposium

Price: $20, $18 for students, seniors and NSFs
Date and Location: 14 Oct, 9:30pm, 15 Oct, 3pm, Duration: 45min
Esplanade Annexe Studio, 1 Esplanade Dr, 038981

 

Tread Uncharted Waters

 

dans3

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Given these 10 workshops for you and your BFF to bond over and become more like your favourite movie characters, you won’t have to resort to the same old visits to Orchard Road. Keep a look out for all these new workshops you can take part in, especially at venues that always have new free events like Esplanade.

This October, Esplanade presents the 11th d:ans festival, with a crazy list of dance-related activities for dancers and non-dancers alike. Whether it’s trying your hand at a mass dance and making friends along the way, or simply sitting down and appreciating a cultural dance, there will be something on the schedule that you’ll appreciate.

Click here to find out more about da:ns Festival.

This post was brought to you by Esplanade da:ns Festival.

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