SINGAPORE \u2013 The 2026 National Day Parade (NDP) mascot performers were given one brief: Bring as much energy as possible to hype up the crowd.<\/p>\n
They took that to heart, pouring their unrelenting energy into trendy dance moves or simply bouncing in sync with the music.<\/p>\n
This has not gone unnoticed, as videos of these mascots giving their all as they performed on stage for the National Education shows have gone viral on social media \u2013 at least one video posted on TikTok chalked up 41,000 likes.<\/p>\n
Lance Corporal (LCP) He Mingzhe, who is the performer for BRAVE \u2013 a turquoise ball of optimism that is the official mascot of Beyond the Label \u2013 said that it was heartwarming that the audience appreciated their performances.<\/p>\n
Beyond the Label is a nationwide movement led by the National Council of Social Service and TOUCH Community Services to address stigma faced by people with mental health conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I didn\u2019t expect to blow up on TikTok… I think it\u2019s very motivating for us to continue to put in our best effort,\u201d the 19-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF) said, adding that the performers could hear the audience and also feed off their energy.<\/p>\n
While the costume is lightweight, He said he initially found it difficult to walk quickly in it.<\/p>\n The performers were all encouraged to bring as much energy as they could into their performances.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n For LCP Soh Jie Feng, who is the person behind NDP mascot August, the experience is a way to push his boundaries, as he is usually more reserved.<\/p>\n \u201c(My family and friends) were very shocked that the one behind the costume is me because usually I\u2019m quite quiet, but (on the stage), they saw me pulling out some crazy dance moves,\u201d said the 19-year-old NSF.<\/p>\n Soh added that being in the mascot costume and unrecognisable in front of the audience, he could go all out and give his best performance.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though it might seem very small to put in my best effort for the small dance segment that we have, but I feel that it really contributes to the show,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The performers were all encouraged to put as much energy as they could into their performances, said LCP Javan Ng Jie Ren, who is the performer behind the iconic orange dragon playground.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven that the theme for this year\u2019s NDP is \u2018Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!\u2019, that\u2019s the mindset that the three of us and the rest of the mascots really wanted to bring to the parade this year,\u201d said the 19-year-old, who is also an NSF.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>