District 18: Activation 7

| Documentation by Syarifuddin Sahari |

20 February 2019, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

On-site at Tampines Round Market and Food Center (TRMFC)

The rehearsal started off with Sonia instructing all the dancers to walk around the center segment of TRMFC, to fill the space as much as possible. As they walked around, they had to non-verbally acknowledge each other’s presence by winking. After some time, their next instruction was to stop and resume walking collectively, without any form of communication, a way to sense and synchronise with each other. At one point after stopping, they were instructed to close their eyes and Sonia asked them to point to a few individuals, and asked what someone else was wearing that night.

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As they filled the space, they also had to feel each other’s presence.

After opening their eyes, Sonia introduced 4 points to them, each point representing an issue/crisis; 1) financial or practical issues, 2) family/relationships or social issues, 3) big world issues and 4) existential issues. She asked them to close their eyes to think about these 4 points and let their bodies naturally gravitate to any of them; either 1 point or they could stand in between points if there were more than 1 issue/crisis going through their mind. Afterwards, each was given a pen and paper, invited to find a spot in the hawker center and continuously write for 3 minutes non-stop about issues/crisis in their minds or anything that matters.

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Putting their thoughts into words.

Subsequently, they partnered up and shared what they wrote to their partner, who must listen intently to what they had to say. Of course, they were given the option to not share what they wrote if they were not comfortable in doing so. From there, the partner has to come up with 1 word or phrase about their partner based on what they shared.

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To share and to listen.

The phrases/words given based on what their partners shared:

Shangbin : Philosophical

Desmond : Agony

Hariz : Confused