SINGAPORE — A video on TikTok showing several groups of dancers practising along an underground linkway at Bayfront MRT Station has got some people asking if it is an appropriate location for the activity.

The linkway, which connects the MRT station to the Gardens by the Bay, features full-length panels of mirrors, which resemble those in dance studios and the dancers practise in front of them.

Calling this the "Bayfront Dance Studio", TikTok user "bellaella7777" posted the 50-second video depicting the scene on Saturday (June 22), with one group appearing to have set up multiple chairs in the middle of the linkway to rehearse a dance.

This caused other people to have to “make a detour” to avoid them, the user wrote in the video caption. 

“Because of the mirrors, many K-pop wannabes have been rehearsing in the long, long corridor. No problem if they leave a decent amount of space for people to walk (and most do). I (also) think it's great that it's so lively.” 

However, the TikTok user also said that it was “a bit too much” for people to take up “three quarters of the space” and force others to avoid them. 

As of Wednesday 7pm, the video has received close to 80,000 views and 522 comments.

‘DANCE AWAY’ OR ‘GO AWAY’?

There are several similar lengthy pathways around Singapore where it is common to find groups of dancers getting into their groove, including those at the Esplanade, Singapore Management University and parts of Changi Airport. 

However, online users had mixed views on whether it was appropriate for the dancers to practise in such spaces. 

Several commented on how there was enough space in the linkway to accommodate pedestrians as well as the dancers, while others were not impressed by the dancers' choice of location for practice.

One TikTok user wrote: “I believe Singapore has a decent number of dance studios they can use for practice.” 

Another said: “This is a tourist area, there’re tons of spaces for you to dance and this (definitely isn’t) it.” 

On the other hand, there were those who felt that the user who posted the video was making a mountain out of a molehill. 

One remarked: “Just let people dance, you can literally still walk past them.”

Another commented: “There's the exact same vibe (and) noise at Hongdae (Korea) but no one complained. Let's just celebrate (the fact that) Singapore is getting some character with this.”  

Other people took the middle ground, with one who said: “Taking up a quarter of the walkway is okay but the chairs in the middle of the walkway a bit too much, ah.” This comment drew more than 1,000 likes. 

One viewer said that this was indicative of a larger need to provide more spaces for performers: “Doesn’t this raise more of an issue (on) how there’s not enough free spaces for youths to practise their art that they resort to crowding the limited spaces available?” 

TODAY has reached out to the Land Transport Authority for more information on who manages the linkway, and to TikTok user "bellaella7777" for comment.