KOTA KINABALU: A group of students from Sabah are hoping to make Malaysia proud in the Andong Maskdance Festival in South Korea.
The group, known as Ngalay Yang’s, comprising nine students aged 12 and 13 left for South Korea on Thursday night (Oct 5) and will start competing in the qualifying round two days later against 30 other teams from various countries.
Noorhayati Awang, the group’s teacher-manager, said the four boys and five girls had worked hard in order to give their best in the annual dance competition held in Andong city which started on Oct 2 and ends on Oct 9.
She said this was their first international folklore and modern dance competition and understandably her charges were somewhat nervous.
“But at the same time they are all very happy and excited to be part of this competition,” she said, when met at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport before their flight.
“Some of them had never stepped foot on a foreign land so they are eager not just to show what they can do but also to learn new cultures.”
Noorhayati said the group will compete in the “Abroad” category and that they will present a creative ensemble of the traditional Sabah dance the Limbai Bajau Samah.
“The group has prepared extensively for this occasion so, hopefully we will do well,” she said.
She said they would also like to record their sincere thanks to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and the Sabah Government, as well as other donors, for their contributions to allow their team to take part in the competition.
She added they were supposed to compete in the international Dance World Cup in Braga, Portugal from last June but could not due to a delay in funding.-pr/BNN
