The European Association of Folklore Festivals recently organised the 8th World Cup of Folklore at Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. This prestigious annual event calls upon people from all over the world to participate in this significant competition that aims to foster international intercultural connectivity. This year, the Gombak Cultural Group was awarded the title of runner-up at the competition. The Gombak Cultural Group is a coalition of 11 schools under the Gombak District Education Office. The group is comprised of 21 students and 10 teachers, all of whom come from multiethnic and multi-faith backgrounds. The group is composed of dedicated students and teachers from SMK Taman Melawati, SMK Seri Gombak, SMK Seri Keramat, SK Bukit Rawang Jaya, SK Taman Melawati, SK 2 Kuala Ampang, SK Selayang Utama, SK Bandar Baru Selayang 2, SK Seri Kundang, SK Sungai Buloh, and SJKT Bukit Darah.
The Tamil Students from SJKT Bukit Darah in particular had the incredibly talented Maonisaa Kanapathy (Standard 5), Monika Umindran (Standard 4), and Ram Mathan (Standard 4). The young talents had an immense amount of guidance from their dedicated teachers, Retha Nadarajah and Anjalay Dewi Paramasua, who greatly helped choreograph their performance as well as tirelessly caring for the safety and wellbeing of their students throughout the event.
The Malaysian team performed a fantastically choreographed work that combined many traditional dances. The multicultural landscape these students grew up in revealed itself to be incredibly fruitful on the international stage, where the students performed a variety of hereditary dances like the MahMeri tribe’s Sewang Dance and the Magunatip Dance from the Murut Tribe of Sabah, along with Piring Dancing, Kolattam, and the Gamelan Dance. The collective efforts of the teachers, parents, students, and dance instructors garnered the Malaysian team several awards, including 2nd Place in the World Cup of Folklore with 3 Gold Medals in folklore dance categories (ensemble, authentic, and modern choreography).
Win or lose is just part of competing but our effort, determination and sacrifices will not go unnoticed and I believe in that
– Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid, Lead Choreographer for Gombak Cultural Group
The lead choreographer of the Malaysian team, Razak, who previously worked as a dancer before becoming a teacher, shared how the collaborative effort and determination exerted by everyone had yielded them many great things. For it is not only the winning of a competition that matters but also the strength of unity, trust, and fraternity that the students have built together that will bring forth a great future for the young generation and the nation.
Image Source Astro Ulagam
Source: Malay Mail, Astro Ulagam
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