KOTA KINABALU: Competitive dancers from Mutiara Primary School (SK) a primary school in Kota Kinabalu, will be participating in an international dance festival in Prague, the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. The festival is scheduled to take place from June 27 to July 6, this year.
A group of eight students, ranging from Primary five to six, will be showcasing choreographed traditional dances to an international audience during the festival.
Accompanying them on this journey will be eight teachers. The travel arrangements will be managed by AIC Footprints Travels and Tour Sdn Bhd, a well-known local travel and tour company that previously managed the school’s dance troupe during their participation in the international festival held in Braga, Portugal, in 2019.
They had successfully ensured that participants and their chaperones’ stay in Braga was comfortable and their travel well managed.
During their previous participation in Braga, six students from SK Mutiara won the ‘Children Small Group National and Folklore’ category, bringing honor to the school with a trophy and certificates.
The School Headmistress, Junaidah Yassin, expressed her pride in the students’ achievements and shared that the school expects a similar level of excellence in Prague as well. The parents and teachers are actively involved in preparing the students for the event.
The dance presentations during the festival will include three categories. A solo performance by a girl will showcase the Lotud dance called Giring, followed by a solo performance by a boy who will perform the Murut Warrior dance. The trio performance will feature a Bajau Sama’ dance performed by a girl and two boys, while the group category will present a welcoming dance called ‘Pesorong Kam’.
To support the students’ participation in the festival, funds are being raised, including through a fundraising dinner.
The Parents Teachers Association head (PIBG), Rejanah Bahanda, who is a beauty and health product entrepreneur, mentioned that a special product ARBYJELLO has been picked to be sold for this cause.
A portion of the proceeds from the product sales will be contributed towards the expenses for the event. The goal is to raise at least RM300,000 to cover the necessary costs.
Junaidah expressed her hopes for the support and encouragement of the public, as the students’ achievements in this international event will be a source of national pride.-BNN
