Every Tuesday or Saturday night, if you head over to the rooftop of Kallang Wave Mall, you may see a few individuals swinging and waving bright lights in the palm of their hands to the rhythm of Japanese songs.
Using every muscle in their bodies, from their toes to their neck, the dancers slash and twirl with calculated precision and all of their strength. This results in the creation of beautiful patterns of light that appear in conjunction with the beat of the music. Wotagei (pronounced woh-tah-gay), I learnt, was what it was called. It fascinated me enough to pick up my own pair of lightsticks.
And with every synchronised movement, every cry of cheers, I felt it too, a sense of camaraderie that needed no introduction. Something about the culture or the shared love of interests between the dancers that unites them, and that shows in the dance they perform as well.
A sea of lights with waves of community. This is how the Singapore Wotagei Community keeps closely bonded together.
What is Wotagei?
Muhammad Haiqal, a 23-year-old polytechnic student and Singapore’s representative at the Wotagei World Cup, says:
“Wota, is basically the expression of showing emotions or support to idols and performance. And then the gei part is simply the dance form, where you can see all the light trails in performances and videos. If we put it together, it just essentially means otaku dance.”
The lightstick performing art stands out among dance forms for its unique mix of light trails and intense movements, but that uniqueness has also attracted many across Singapore to practice it and form a community at Kallang Stadium. There are currently more than 80 practitioners of the art.
Paul Yong, who is a 27-year-old Wotagei dancer with 10 years worth of experience, shares with us how new Singaporeans find out about Wotagei.
“The majority of the people who come to Wotagei have an interest in anime, manga, and J-pop music from popular artists such as Yoasobi or Ado. And for a lot of their younger fans who don’t have a background in dance, finding our Wotagei videos that feature those sparks an interest in them.”
More experienced members regularly teach newcomers, keeping both dance skills and the sense of inclusiveness growing together in the community.
Ho Jin Quan, a 21-year-old polytechnic graduate with three years of Wotagei experience, attests to the teaching culture in the community.
“The more experienced people usually try to impart as much knowledge to the juniors based on their own experiences so that they can keep up with the rest of the members of the community.”
In addition to the welcoming vibe of the Wotagei community, there are many more instances where the art helps keep members moving together in unity.
More Than A Hobby
The Wotagei Community is not only a place to learn the art. It acts as a safe space for fans of Japanese culture to not only mingle but also make everlasting friendships with each other.
Kimmi Zaini, a 24-year-old retail assistant with seven years of Wotagei experience, recounts his time interacting with others in the community.
“I got to meet so many like-minded friends from all walks of life, from many different places, countries, and age groups. Without Wotagei, I honestly wouldn’t think I would have met all these people that I hold dearly to me today.”
The Wotagei Community also produces performance videos together. For the members, these recordings are more than just pure content. They represent milestones for progress, nostalgic memories, and document the community’s growth in Singapore.
“And that also leads to closer friendships. And with that, from those friendships, it further branches out into celebrations such as member birthdays.” Kimmi added.
Such a simple thing as waving lightsticks can lead to multiple occasions of joy and bonding, which is an unexpected yet beautiful example of a shared activity cultivating appreciation for one another.
However, despite the obvious shared love for the art amongst members, their support and care are not restricted just to the shared training spaces.
Nobody Faces it Alone
“I had a Wotagei dance battle recently where I experienced a loss there during that competition. I really felt quite broken down by it, but luckily, I had friends from the community who actually really helped stand by me comfortably and consoled me.” Jin Quan recalls.
Wotagei is a dance sport, which means members face real pressure and competition to improve. But the community’s support extends well beyond technique and placings.
When Kimmi’s family disapproved of his involvement in Wotagei, his friends from the community stepped in without being asked.
“They went out of their way to meet my family, sat down with them, and talked about Wotagei and convinced my family to actually come down and watch a performance that I did. From there, my family became much more open-minded and supportive of my time in Wotagei.” Kimmi recounted.
“Just that action of my friends going out of their way to help me and my situation was one of the kindest things that they’ve done for me,” Kimmi added.
Moments such as these showcase the deep consideration and concern the members of the Wotagei Community have for each other.
A Place to Belong
On the surface, the Wotagei Community is a group of people who share a hobby. But for many of its members, it has become something harder to replace.
Haiqal describes how the community has helped him find his self-identity and happiness.
“Back in secondary school, I was just a kid who was trying to find myself. And throughout those nine years, I felt dread. But then I started coming to practice Wotagei more. That sparked a lot of these amazing opportunities that I’m really proud of.”
“It was also thanks to Avengers Wotagei as well. My group of boys, who helped me out throughout my tough times.” He added.
Waving lightsticks right next to people exercising at the National Stadium might seem like an unlikely place to find belonging. But the people who show up every Tuesday and Saturday night might have found exactly that.
If you’re curious, even if you don’t have any dance experience, the community welcomes newcomers. And from what their members say, you’ll probably be glad you came.
Who’s your unexpected community?
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One Response
I enjoyed reading about how Wotagei has become more than just a performance activity for these Singaporeans. The way it brings people together through shared passion and creates a sense of belonging is especially interesting.
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