NDP aerialists will perform at heights of 13m

He has a fear of heights.

But for this year's National Day Parade (NDP), Mr Wayne Wee will challenge that fear by dancing while suspended from a height of 13m in the National Stadium.

The 22-year-old full-time national serviceman is one of 20 aerialists from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Music and Drama Company (MDC) who will perform in Acts 4 and 5 of the NDP.

He told The New Paper yesterday: "When I first went up (into the air), it was very disorientating. In fact, you are so disorientated that you don't remember how high up you are."

Acts 4 and 5 are titled Ingenuity and Building Our Singapore of Tomorrow respectively.

The 20 aerialists will be dancing while suspended between heights of 5m and 13m from the ground.

FEARLESS: (From left) Mr Wayne Wee, Mr Rajid Ahamed and Ms Biwa Mastura Mohamed Said are among the 20 aerialists performing at this year's National Day Parade. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES

In two other acts, two aerialists will be performing at a height of 30m.

All of them had no prior experience as aerialists.

Training started on May 16 at the Airborne Training Facility at Pasir Ris Camp.

Mr Wee said that part of the training involved being suspended in the air for eight to 10 minutes.

He said: "There were times when we were spinning and there were times when we were upside down.

"Also, the harnesses are tight, so we would end up with bruises on our hips and thighs."

But taking part in the performance helped him overcome his fear of heights.

He added: "After a while, you sort of get acclimatised and it gets easier."

GIDDY

Another aerialist, Ms Biwa Mastura Mohamed Said, 26, who works full-time at the MDC, also struggled with the choreography at first.

She also had motion sickness and would feel giddy the first few times she was up in the air.

She said: "I got really tired... and it was really draining - emotionally and physically."

At one point, she broke down in front of a female Ministry of Defence (Mindef) officer and told her she wanted to quit.

"I asked myself 'Why am I doing this?' and was about to give up," she said.

But the officer encouraged her to push on since she had already got this far.

Her colleagues and instructors were also there for her, she added.

"Every time I got down from the harness, there would be a few instructors around me to make sure I was fine.

"It has been quite challenging, but at the end of the day, it's really quite fulfilling."