NDP 2016 SHOW PROMISES A REFRESHING EXPERIENCE

This 9 Aug, get ready for a National Day Parade (NDP) that will take you on a journey spanning centuries, bringing you through history all the way to an intergalactic future.

The NDP 2016 Show is set to be a forward-looking performance that will leverage the infrastructure of the new National Stadium to present show elements never seen before in previous NDPs.

"NDP 2016 is especially significant because we are celebrating the next 50 years, the start of a new chapter in our Singapore stories. We wanted it to be something forward-looking, and we've taken a bold and innovative approach to refresh the show experience," said Chairman Show Committee Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Jason See.

On the inspiration behind this year's Show, Creative Director Beatrice Chia-Richmond said: "Because it's the year after our Golden Jubilee, this (show) is the first show of the next 50 years.

"One of the key things is to look forward, as opposed to being too retrospective. That means we have to work harder because there are no crystal balls to look into the future to say exactly what is going to happen. So a lot of it is our hopes and our dreams."

This year's Show will feature edgy technological elements such as 3D projection mapping with real-time tracking technology, unmanned systems and indoor fireworks.

Some 1,000 show lights, 66 high-definition projectors, 36 high-powered lasers and an enhanced sound system will be used to create a multi-sensory and immersive parade experience for audiences.

Journey from past to future

Audiences at the Sports Hub and at home will be enthralled by the visual spectacle. At the same time, SLTC See wants to remind them this: "Even as we bring in all these new elements, we want to celebrate the old, our past (and) our present, our values and love for Singapore. Those remain constant."

For this reason, the NDP Show will open with the story of Badang and the Singapore Stone in Act 1. The tale is based on the legend surrounding the Singapore Stone displayed in the National Museum.

Act 2: Our Four Civilisations moves audiences forward with a tribute to the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western civilisations that were the forefathers of our nation.

Audiences at the National Stadium will have the opportunity to be a part of Act 3: Dare to Dream. During the segment, their pre-programmed LED wristsbands will light up to create a sea of rainbow-coloured lights that will accompany a beautiful aerial and automated unicorn. The unicorn is a reference to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's comment that Singapore is like the mythical creature -- one of a kind.

In Act 4: Ingenuity, audiences will be taken on a trip to the future together with 720 participants dressed in brightly-lit LED costumes. They will perform an energetic dance routine complemented by pulsating music and light displays, as well as ninebot machines and eight unmanned systems comprising drones tethered to unmanned ground vehicles.

The highlight of this segment is the aerial performance by 20 Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company (SAF MDC) dancers. They will execute a routine that includes front and back flips, and dance choreography, all while suspended 10 to 12m up in the air.

"The experience has been amazing so far. It's something I've never really done before, and we are training to perform (specially) for this year's NDP," said MDC aerialist Private (PTE) Rajid Ahamed.

The 20-year-old Full-time National Serviceman noted that it was difficult getting used to performing at such heights: "Getting used to the harness, hanging from that height and overcoming our fear of heights were some of our challenges. But the secret to performing is to trust the equipment (and) believe that all the hard work you put in during the rehearsals matter."

Act 5: Building Our Singapore of Tomorrow will feature a breathtaking Sky City prop -- a massive display six storeys high, made up of multiple iconic buildings.

In the final act, Act 6: Our Home, Our People, 420 performers from the Singapore Soka Association (SSA) wearing specially-designed skirts will flip their skirts to create mass displays of images. These images are adapted from hand-painted artworks by students of Touch Community Services.

The SSA performers will be joined by over 150 special needs participants from seven Voluntary Welfare Organisations to hand-sign popular NDP songs like Home and Count on Me, Singapore. This is the first time a song-signing segment is featured in NDP.

Mr Quek Swee Hai, a special needs performer from Handicap Welfare Association, feels honoured to perform at NDP.

He said: "This year's NDP is special, not just because it's a new chapter, but it's also an opportunity for us to contribute back to society," he said. The 51-year-old was glad that the hand signs were simple to learn and easily adaptable: "I had a stroke on my right arm, so I use my left hand (to sign) instead. That's why I always say disabled doesn't mean unable."

For SSA performer Tay Qing Yi, sharing the stage with the special needs performers is an eye-opening and moving experience. She said: "It's very heartwarming the first time I saw them signing to the song together with us."

Although she has participated in NDP before, this is her first time performing with special needs performers. "It's a very good opportunity to tell other Singaporeans that we have to be inclusive in our society," said the 20-year-old. "They are no different from us."