KOTA KINABALU: The public will have the opporunity to enjoy traditional and contemporary dances when the ‘Connecting Communities … National Dance Tour’ initiated by the Faculty of Dance, Akedemi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara) is held this Satuday, June 8, at the National Department For Culture And Arts (JKKN Sabah).
The event, sponsored by Sime Darby Foundation, is jointly organized by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS) and supported by JKKN Complex Sabah as the official venue.
In a press conference here yesterday, Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said while the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had done a lot for the community, it was still insufficient.
Hence, corporate involvement was crucial in such activities as they had the financial resources, she said, commending Sime Darby Foundation for presenting the cultural show.
Jainab said the dance tour reflected the spirit of 1Malaysia as the dance styles featured in the events included Malay, Chinese, Bollywood and Jazz.
She added that children who took part in the workshop, particularly village children, could learn how to dance through the workshops.
As the 13th general election has concluded, Jainab urged the people to establish a caring and united society.
Meanwhile, Datuk Adeline Leong from the Sime Darby Foundation said the Dance tour was the first of its kind to cover all states in Malaysia, involving 20 of Aswara’s best dance graduates and students, as well as its renowned teaching staff.
To date, the dance tour has covered six states in Malaysia, which were all sponsored by the foundation, Leong said.
She said the Aswara Dance Company consists of seven principal dancers who have graduated from Aswara, five senior apprentice dancers, six junior apprentice dancers and one guest dancer.
The troupe is under the tutelage of renowned choreographer and dancer Dr Joseph Gonzales, dean of Dance Faculty in Aswara and also judge in reality dance television shows such as Sehati Berdansa and Mari Menari.
Aswara, as she informed, is a higher learning institute established with a vision to become an art learning and training institution recognized regionally and internationally. It offers diploma and degree programmes in filming and videography, writing, music, theatre, dance and fine arts studies.
Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: National Dance Tour in Kota Kinabalu Saturday
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