She Gets 27,000 People To Cheer – Before NDP Even Starts

Before the Red Lions take to the sky or the first dancers leap onto the Padang, an oft-overlooked, but mighty force is already hard at work: pre-parade motivators charged with uniting a scattered crowd into a single roar of national pride.

Sathis Babu Lakshmi Prabha, a 17-year-old student from Temasek Polytechnic and first-time participant at NDP, is one of nearly 500 youth volunteers participating through the TOUCH Motivators programme, which has been involved in NDP since 2001. The initiative, run by TOUCH Community Services, equips students with hard and soft skills they can use beyond NDP: everything from pre-parade dance mastery to leadership, emotional resilience, and confidence-building.

You'd think that Singapore's most iconic celebration wouldn't need motivators, but Lakshmi's job is so much more than just prompting people to cheer. Essentially, pre-parade motivators need to help shift the audience's mindset from that of spectators to that of participants – no small feat when people are making their way into the stands, beneath the afternoon sun.

"The motivators understand that we need to absorb the energy from the stage and amplify it to the crowd," she says. "It's getting the audience to realise that they are also part of the program"

We spoke to Lakshmi about what it’s really like to be a pre-parade motivator: how she gets the crowd going, what surprises her most about the role, and why she thinks NDP still matters to her generation.


Pre-parade motivators are tasked with building anticipation for what's to come |IMAGE: DIANE LAM

What exactly does a pre-parade motivator do?

My role is to hype up the audience and set the tone [for the show]. I'm usually on the stairs with the crowd and whenever the performance is going on, I'm responsible for like getting [their attention] back and engaging them.

That sounds like a big responsibility! Do you ever get nervous?

The stands aren't as nerve-wracking as being onstage. Although I'm managing a big crowd, I think compared to those who are going onstage, I'm not really that stressed. But there's still some amount of nervousness because it's a crowd full of strangers.

Did you get to go on stage at all?

The TOUCH batch of pre-parade motivators dances in the first part on the stage, during just a small part. Even though it's just small chunk of time, it's a bit stressful. But the audience eyes are not really on us so it's also fun.

Not a lot of people know that there's such a thing as a pre-parade motivator. Did you even know that this role was a thing before you signed up?

No, I never knew that this type of role existed. I used to think that the people on the stands are staff who take care of the audience's well-being. I didn't think their role was to bring the performances up to the stands!

Has anything surprised you about being a motivator?

I didn't realise how difficult setting the tone is. You're not just hyping up a crowd, you're setting the tone for the part of the show that you're responsible for. You're in charge of it! If you're unable to bring the "stage up to the stands", I don't think the audience will be able to reciprocate the same amount of energy.


Lakshmi at rehearsals | IMAGE: TOUCH COMMUNITY SERVICES

What are some keys to exciting the crowd?

When the song plays, I take out my flashlight, wave it, and the audience will know to take out their wrist lights! We follow whatever's happening on stage because that's what the audience likes to focus on. If you amplify it on the stands, it'll bring up the vibe.

Do you ever hope the audience will help you out?

I don't think the audience is actually supposed to help me out. It's more like me being able to give them as much as possible. I'm there to transfer. I'm just getting them to focus.

How have you been preparing for the show?

I believe that my mental health affects how I'm going to be, and my mental health will be affected by my physical health. I take care of how I'm resting, and I do more simulations—practicing and practicing and getting adequate rest.


Lakshmi named her mother as her biggest encourager this season | IMAGE: SATHIS BABU LAKSHMI PRABHA

What does your family think of your role?

My mom, although she doesn't really know what I'm doing. I don't think she realises how big of a thing this is. (And I don't think she understands what being interviewed means.) But she supports me in her own way. After every Saturday she'll come to me and ask, "Oh, how was training today? Was it fun?"

What does NDP mean to you as a young Singaporean?

NDP gives us youngsters a visual of how Singapore went from a small fishing village into a first world, very advanced country. And NDP is an important part of our lives because it's the only time where everyone in Singapore gets to be together. Even if you don't go, if you're able to see it, you can say everyone is in front of the television watching the NDP, or in the stands, watching the actual show. Everyone is focused on the same thing, and it's for a very good purpose.

When you're not being a pre-parade motivator, how do you usually celebrate NDP?

Until mid-secondary school, during the fireworks, I would run down to the tallest building and then watch the fireworks. It became a tradition because while traveling until here doesn't take long, it's super crowded.

I can watch them from afar and capture the skyscrapers and everything.... [it reminds me of] how deep and evolved Singapore is.

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