Marking its sixth edition, the dance platform’s annual flagship event reflects on the body as a vessel of memory, where instinctive gestures open pathways to rediscovery.
Launched in 2020 as an “at-home” festival for dance films, FIFTH WALL has grown into a year-round cultural platform that continues to blur the boundaries between dance and the disciplines that surround it. Six years later, its ethos remains unchanged: to reimagine movement—and to invite audiences to do the same. This October 25 to 26, 2025, the platform’s annual flagship event returns with its sixth edition, titled “Muscle Memory.” The creative gathering will be taking place on the 28th floor of RCBC Plaza Tower II, reframing the city itself as a makeshift stage.
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Memory In Motion
As both title and theme of this year’s festival, “Muscle Memory” alludes to FIFTH WALL’s aim of understanding the relationship between architecture and dance. The platform will be investigating how repetition, rhythm, and recall shape our understanding of self and space: everyday gestures such as walking, reaching, dressing, and sitting are recontextualized into new patterns, revealing how the body archives memory and meaning through motion.
As FIFTH WALL enters the central business district of Makati, it finds new ways for the inhabitants to move within the space. City dwellers become active participants in a performance that unfolds into living choreography. This time around, the audience is invited to participate, wander, pause, notice, and interact with the festival installations. Each gesture, however small, becomes part of an evolving composition of people.
“I’ve had a deep yearning for the analog form over the past year, ever since I began conceptualising Edition VI. That’s why, for this iteration, blending the principles of architecture and dance with the concept of movement notation, made the most sense,” shares FIFTH WALL founder Madge Reyes. “The objective is for audiences to have a more tactile experience when engaging with the artworks and the space.”
She adds, “The whole event is choreographed to a T, and the added layer of transforming the spectator into a performer is especially exciting. And in true FIFTH WALL form, we always leave room for fun and spontaneity. This year’s format speaks to both kids and kids-at-heart—and perhaps even awakens the dormant, playful movement in everyone.”
Collaborations And Highlights Of Muscle Memory
FIFTH WALL VI continues the platform’s work of dissolving the line between artist and audience, featuring new works in collaboration with ES SE, Marco Ortiga, Lando Cusi, Novel, and WHYNoT. Each collaborator is producing a large-scale, interactive installation that serves as a prompt for movement in and of itself, with hopes to push new perspectives onto everyday physical acts. Select works are available for purchase.
New to the festival this year are participatory guided tours. FIFTH WALL taps friends of the platform to share their personal approaches to understanding and perceiving movement as they lead participants through the floor. Each tour group can expect a unique experience, as the setup yields different journeys even with the same installations.
The Day 1 tours on October 25th will be led by Anna Buqid (fashion), Tarzeer Pictures (film and visual arts), Jer Dee (visual arts), Studio Jan (architecture), Raco Ruiz (visual art), Ayni Nuyda (visual art), Apa Agbayani (film), Elijah Canlas (film and theater), and Jodinand Aguillon (fashion and theater).
Meanwhile, Day 2 tours on October 26th will be led by Jim Ferrer (theater and dance), Jerms (music), Jon Santos (film and theater), One Zero (architecture), Andre Chan (visual arts), PJ Rebullida (dance), Bea Constantino (fashion), EM Enriquez (fashion), and a special tour collaboration with Rolling Stone Philippines.
At the end of each tour, participants will be invited to partake in a culminating activity in the form of a video installation, done in collaboration with Timothy Axibal.
Festival goers can also look forward to live art sessions with darlingkink and Giostrina, as well as evening DJ performances to close each day, with Aries and Papa Jawnz performing on Days 1 and 2, respectively. Lighting of the entire floor venue will be done in collaboration with cinematographer Ian Guevara.
Exclusive merchandise and a curated selection of food and beverage items will be on-site to enhance the entire experience, offering visitors a chance to pause, refuel, and reflect between activities.
“FIFTH WALL VI: Muscle Memory” is supported by Search Mindscape Foundation, with special thanks to Art Impresario, Aputure Philippines, Amaran, and RS Concepts, and media partner Rolling Stone Philippines.
Catch “FIFTH WALL VI: Muscle Memory” from October 25 to 26 at the 28th floor of Tower II, RCBC Plaza. The festival runs from 11 AM to 10 PM daily. Get your tickets at https://fifthwall.helixpay.ph.
Photos courtesy of FIFTH WALL.
