SINGAPORE: Dancers from the Da:ns Festival want Singaporeans to move to the beat too.

Before the 10-day Da:ns Festival starts on 23 October at the Esplanade, organisers will be planting a series of flash mob dancers at different places.

These will be unannounced to have the element of surprise. Anyone is welcome to join in. All that's needed, organisers say, is spontaneity.

Raffles City on Saturday became the first venue to see these flash mob dancers doing a five-minute performance, giving some shoppers a pleasant surprise.

"Initial reaction was, 'music in the shopping mall, how can that be?' And then, the next thing was you see people dancing. I understand that it's really about getting people to dance, to take part. I think it's fantastic," said a shopper.

"I think it's good to be dancing in the city," said another.

The festival will end on 1 November.

- CNA/ir