How to Choose a Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy in Singapore

By Bianka Panova, Head Coach, 9 time World Champion. Updated 19 October 2026.

The right rhythmic gymnastics academy in Singapore has qualified coaches, a clear pathway that matches what your daughter wants from the sport, and a training culture that keeps her safe, challenged and happy. Watch a class, ask the questions below, and trust what you see over what you read.

The seven questions at a glance

1. Are the coaches qualified and first-aid certified?
2. Can the academy show you the pathway beyond the first class?
3. Is correction calm, safe and respectful?
4. Is the academy connected to Singapore Gymnastics?
5. Can your family sustain the journey every week?
6. Are all costs given to you in writing?
7. Does the trial class assess your daughter honestly?

Every parent who comes to us is carrying the same quiet question, whatever words they use. Will she be safe here? Will she be happy? We have spent years answering it, and we would rather you ask it of every academy you visit, ours included.

What qualifications should a rhythmic gymnastics coach have?

A good coach holds recognised coaching certification, current first aid and CPR/AED training, and real experience taking gymnasts from beginner level to competition. A beautiful floor cannot correct a wrist, so ask who will teach your daughter each week, not only who founded the academy.

Every BPA coach is a certified Standard First Aid provider with CPR and AED, accredited by the Singapore Resuscitation and First Aid Council, and our coaches are certified under Singapore Gymnastics standards. Bianka Panova was named Coach of the Year in High Performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics by Singapore Gymnastics in 2017, and she now trains other local coaches as a Learning Facilitator and Coach Developer. Our coaches work exclusively with our Academy, which gives your daughter consistency and continuity in coaching, rather than a different coach for each lesson. You can meet the full team here.

What programmes should a rhythmic gymnastics academy offer?

A good academy offers a clear pathway, from a beginner stage through to national and elite training. Ask to see the next three steps, not only the first class. Ours runs from Foundation, where little girls fall in love with movement, through the National Pathway and the Elite Programme, to the FIG Programme. You can read how each one works on our programmes page.

Bianka writes in her memoir that the real prize in this sport is never the medal itself: “the point was never the end result, but your personal transformation on the way to it.” A good pathway is built around that journey.

How should a coach correct a young gymnast?

Correction should be calm and specific, and it should never push flexibility beyond what the gymnast can recover from. Our coaches do use their hands to teach technique. Watch the tone as well. Does a tired child still feel safe to try again?

Bianka coached in Belgium for years before she founded BPA, and she describes the approach she chose there: “I wanted them to love me, not to fear me.” She also reminds her readers that “mistakes are blessings to humankind, given to us so that we can learn!” A coach who treats a dropped apparatus as a lesson, and not as a failure, is the coach you want.

Is the academy connected to Singapore Gymnastics?

Look for affiliation with Singapore Gymnastics, certified coaches, and gymnasts competing in sanctioned national events. BPA is affiliated with Singapore Gymnastics, and seventeen of our gymnasts train in the national centre squad. In 2021 we were named Competitive Club of the Year (RG).

How far should you travel for training?

Choose a location your family can reach calmly every week. A journey that exhausts the family will not survive a busy school term. We are at 2 Bukit Merah Central, #02–03, Singapore 159835, and the nearest MRT station is Redhill (EW18). There is comfortable parking for families who drive.

What does rhythmic gymnastics cost?

Fees vary by programme level, so ask for the full cost in writing. The monthly fee is only the first line of the receipt. Ask about attire, competition entries, camps and apparatus, so there are no surprises in month four. At BPA, our team gives a full fee breakdown at your post-trial meeting.

Bianka puts the bigger question this way: “we forget the price. The price our desire costs. Are we ready to pay it?” She is not talking about money. She is talking about the weeks of effort and patience that serious training asks of a child and her family, and it is worth deciding together, before you start.

What happens in a trial class?

A good trial class assesses your daughter honestly and gives you a written report. Our Assessment Trial lasts 60 minutes. Coaches look at her flexibility, coordination, apparatus handling and how she follows instruction. You receive a written assessment report within a week, and you can watch the class through a remote viewing link.

Families are part of the journey too. Looking back at her own years as a coach, Bianka writes: “The parents turned out to be a tremendous source of support.” We see the same thing every week.

After the class, do not ask whether she was good. Ask whether she wants to go back. Her answer will tell you more than any brochure, ours included. Book a trial class here.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum age to start rhythmic gymnastics at BPA?

The minimum age is 4, within the year of turning 4. Older beginners are welcome. A beginner aged 7 or above is placed after her trial class assessment, usually in the National Pathway.

Does my daughter need experience before joining?

No. Beginners join our Foundation Programme, where we teach rhythmic gymnastics from the ground up. She does not need flexibility, a dance background or any prior gymnastics.

Is rhythmic gymnastics safe?

It is not a contact sport, but it is demanding. Muscle soreness and some discomfort in flexibility work are normal, especially in the first months. Our coaches are trained to approach stretching in a moderate, scientific and natural way, because excessive stretching and overloading can lead to injury in any sports club. We prioritise safe, progressive and age-appropriate development, so flexibility is built responsibly without compromising the long-term health and wellbeing of every gymnast. All BPA coaches hold Standard First Aid with CPR and AED certification, and parents are told on the day if their daughter is hurt in class.

How many gymnasts are in each class?

We keep a careful coach-to-gymnast ratio, because the quality of training and individual attention come first. Our groups typically have 6 to 10 gymnasts per coach, depending on the level and training needs of the group, usually within a 2 to 3 year age gap. Whenever a session goes beyond the right ratio, a second coach is present to maintain the quality, safety and effectiveness of the training.

When can my daughter compete?

Our coaches decide based on her age and technical readiness, and we do not enter gymnasts before they are prepared. When the time is right, our students compete in Singapore Gymnastics-sanctioned events.

More answers are in our full FAQ.