Did you miss last week’s National Day Parade (NDP) performance, especially the heartwarming SSA’s item in Act 2: The Challenges We Face?
Today, we have prepared a special highlight of the wonderful performance put up by our 274 NDP 2021 performers! Once again, well done and congratulations to everyone for the beautiful performance!
This year marks the 36th year of SSA’s participation in the National Day Parade (NDP). Despite the postponement of the parade to August 21, 2021, due to the evolving Covid-19 situation, 274 SSA members and friends from the four divisions, out of which 208 were youth, put up a splendid and heartwarming performance. Striving with the spirit of “many in body, one in mind”, the SSA performers brought out the enduring attitudes of the Singapore Spirit through their emotive performance.
The theme for NDP 2021 is “Together, Our Singapore Spirit”, with the intention for it to be a parade that could lift the spirits of Singaporean. The show featured animated films for the first time which played a pivotal role in bridging the various acts of the show. The mass display item put up by the SSA performers in Act Two: The Challenges We Face depicted the spirit of resilience and courage of how Singaporeans from diverse backgrounds and different generations overcome their adversities and challenges.
Chairman of the NDP Executive Committee, Brigadier General Tan Cheng Kwee, shared that “SSA was tasked with the most emotional and heartfelt segment of NDP 2021.” In Act Two, the film took the audience through the challenges and setbacks faced by the characters. Transiting to the live performance, with the rain as the backdrop, the performers moved seamlessly with their umbrellas lighting and pulsating with the colourful PixMob lights to a moving song. The act ended with the sing along and mass dance to “Where I Belong”, showcasing the warmness and vibrancy of the ending scenes in which the characters were supported by their families and friends.
NDP 2021 has been unprecedented, having taken place amidst Covid-19 and being the first ever parade to have been postponed because of the heightened alert measures. Nonetheless, this had not dampened the spirt of our SSA performers. Our performers persisted and adapted to having online trainings, ensuring that everyone would be ready for the physical rehearsals when the situation permitted. When physical trainings and combined rehearsals commenced, the performers complied to safe management measures and the required swab tests. With the postponement of NDP, the performers took it within their stride with the unwavering heart to put up an uplifting performance for all Singaporeans. Donning white costumes, the performers displayed the spirit of resilience, which resonates with the NDP 2021 theme, and the Soka spirit.
SSA General Director Tay Eng Kiat shared in his round- up at the final participant meeting on August 16, 2021, that, “SSA’s motto given by President Ikeda to us in December 2011 was — ‘SSA: The Indomitable Fortress, Model of Worldwide Kosen- rufu’. To be indomitable is also to be resilient, to not be defeated, to continue on matter whatever the challenges are; to win and to be victorious in life with our faith.”
Despite the challenging circumstances from Covid-19 and amidst each performer’s personal challenges, the SSA performers displayed the Singaporeans’ “can-do” spirit to strive over each and every challenge, come what may!
SSA Receives Certificate of Appreciation (Gold Award)
At the NDP 2021 Appreciation Ceremony on August 27, Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen (left) presented the Certificate of Appreciation (Gold Award) to SSA. General Director Tay Eng Kiat received the award on behalf of SSA.
(Adapted from September 2021 issue of SSA Times)
Tenacious • Resilient • Capable – These are the three words that this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) Creative Director Boo Junfeng chose to describe his experience working with SSA.
Let us also hear the impressions by some of our participants and backstage support on this year’s NDP journey. Once again, thank you, everyone!
