Dance festival an avenue for get-together, charity

KUCHING: Kuching International Dance Festival should be listed among the annual affairs in the state tourism calendar, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu ak Numpang.

He felt that foreign dancers could have the real experience of what Sarawak had to offer while meeting one another to raise the standard of their respective traditional and contemporary folk dances.

“The festival is a forum enabling a meaningful get-together among the participants to eventually bring them to the level of world stage performance.

“There are many attractive places of interest in the city and the state to cater for the need of adventurous tourists,” he told Sabati (a charitable organisation of wives of state ministers, assistant ministers and state legislative assembly members) Charity Gala Nite at a hotel here Friday night.

Jabu, who is Minister of Rural Development and Modernisation of Agriculture, was pleased to note that foreign dance groups had come at their own expenses to not only perform their cultural or folk dances but also help lighten the burden of the needy and the less fortunate in the state.

“Tonight’s (Friday) event is a clear manifestation of care and concern both from our society and worldwide in relieving the plights of the less fortunate.”

He believed that Sabati would continue its charitable efforts to benefit more peopleespecially the orphans, the sick, people with disabilities\ (OKU) and residents of the old folks’ home.

He also called on the private sector to continue complementing the government’s efforts in enhancing the welfare and well-being of the less fortunate statewide.

Earlier, organising chairperson Datuk Dayang Morliah Datuk Awang Daud thanked donors for helping the organisation reach its target of RM500,000 for the charitable night.

“Sabati shall take full responsibility to ensure that generous contributions from donors would be wisely utilised for welfare, social and educational activities.”

The Sabati honorary secretary hoped that more people would come forward to help the needy.

Morliah said the inaugural Kuching International Dance Festival was held in 2007, adding that similar project would be continued to meet the needs of the people of Sarawak.

Fifteen dance groups comprising hundreds of dancers performed for the dinner.

They were from Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Canada, Australia, China, Singapore, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Among the participating groups were The Lorita Leung Dance Academy of Canada, Hong Yun Junior Arts School Xing Tai City (Hebei, China), University of Hunan, Youth Troupe (Hunan, China), Su Lin Dance School in Linyi and Rizhao City (Shandong, China), Hua Yu Artistic Centre (Shenzhen, China), Singkiang Youth Dance Troupe (China) and Chang Yi Dance Studio (Suzhou, China).