UPAG - Ngajat Iban(Finals) [Cheonan World Dance Festival 2013]
During a week of 29th September till 8th October 2013, the UTP Performing Arts Group were performing the Sabah and Sarawak dances in Cheonan, South Korea. We were promoting our ethnic culture there and participated in one of the biggest dance conpetition, the Cheonan World Dance Festivals 2013. We have been facing greater challenge throughout our journey of success in Korea. We have to get to use with the weather that was getting colder each and everyday, the exhaustion of performing from morning till night and the feeling of needed to rush every time.
These Cheonan World Dance Festivals were not a happy time especially when you targeted to win all the time but you can enjoy every little thing about it. For example, we did enjoy the performances performed by all the Korean during the opening at Cheonan Arts Center and getting to know all other dancers that participated the event. Life as a dancers could be exciting and tiring, believe me on that but I guess its up to you to make it exciting. So we were performing the dance of Limbai by the ethnic of Bajau, the Sumazau dance, Mongigol dance, Sazau dance and Ngajat by the ethnic of Iban during our stay there in Korea.
Both dance showed their own speciality and both dance caught the attention of the spectators. There this one British gentleman who loved Limbai so much. He even approached us and wanted to know the story behind those dance, how it become those movement in the dance and he even asked the meaning of the accessories the girls were wearing. I'm not surprised that even some Korean asked about it too. The dance is very soft, feminine-like and has its certain meaning on something. We presented the dance in a wedding atmosphere which make it more interesting.
The dance of Ngajat by the ethnic of Iban. These dance deserved every penny of our gold prize award. Because of this dance, we managed to get what we want since the day one UPAG participated in the Choenan World Dance Festivals. These dance showed the warrior side of the male dancers, the toughness of them and their role in the Iban community whereas the girls will show their feminine-like and their role in the Iban community. We have been facing the same problem everyday when practising this dance which is, the male are not overshadowing the female. The male did not show their toughness as a Iban warrior. But then again, I am grateful that during the finals the male dancers show the audience what we have been waiting for since the first day of dancing Ngajat.
For Sumazau, Mongigol and Sazau dance, we presented those dance during the street parade in Seoul and Cheonan and I am impressed during my stay there that their oldies support these kind of things. They went out from their houses and enjoy the festivals every night until the end of it. Because of these three dances, we won the best street parade international category. Those two days of parade was the best nights ever in my whole life. Especially the second night. I saw a great deal of something but let just let that slip.
My experiences there in Korea wouldn't have been possible if it weren't because the existence of UTP Performing Arts Group and the existence of these interesting and unique ethnic throughout Malaysia in Sabah and Sarawak. I hope to be there in Korea again and maybe certain memories about it can be remembered. Hopefully to see other dancers soon, I miss all the Singaporean from Sri Warisan, the dancers from Mexico, dancers from Buryatia, all the dancers from Indonesia and Philippine dancers from Sikada.
Keep on dancing, keep on living by ZazaZahidah
These Cheonan World Dance Festivals were not a happy time especially when you targeted to win all the time but you can enjoy every little thing about it. For example, we did enjoy the performances performed by all the Korean during the opening at Cheonan Arts Center and getting to know all other dancers that participated the event. Life as a dancers could be exciting and tiring, believe me on that but I guess its up to you to make it exciting. So we were performing the dance of Limbai by the ethnic of Bajau, the Sumazau dance, Mongigol dance, Sazau dance and Ngajat by the ethnic of Iban during our stay there in Korea.
Both dance showed their own speciality and both dance caught the attention of the spectators. There this one British gentleman who loved Limbai so much. He even approached us and wanted to know the story behind those dance, how it become those movement in the dance and he even asked the meaning of the accessories the girls were wearing. I'm not surprised that even some Korean asked about it too. The dance is very soft, feminine-like and has its certain meaning on something. We presented the dance in a wedding atmosphere which make it more interesting.
The dance of Ngajat by the ethnic of Iban. These dance deserved every penny of our gold prize award. Because of this dance, we managed to get what we want since the day one UPAG participated in the Choenan World Dance Festivals. These dance showed the warrior side of the male dancers, the toughness of them and their role in the Iban community whereas the girls will show their feminine-like and their role in the Iban community. We have been facing the same problem everyday when practising this dance which is, the male are not overshadowing the female. The male did not show their toughness as a Iban warrior. But then again, I am grateful that during the finals the male dancers show the audience what we have been waiting for since the first day of dancing Ngajat.
For Sumazau, Mongigol and Sazau dance, we presented those dance during the street parade in Seoul and Cheonan and I am impressed during my stay there that their oldies support these kind of things. They went out from their houses and enjoy the festivals every night until the end of it. Because of these three dances, we won the best street parade international category. Those two days of parade was the best nights ever in my whole life. Especially the second night. I saw a great deal of something but let just let that slip.
My experiences there in Korea wouldn't have been possible if it weren't because the existence of UTP Performing Arts Group and the existence of these interesting and unique ethnic throughout Malaysia in Sabah and Sarawak. I hope to be there in Korea again and maybe certain memories about it can be remembered. Hopefully to see other dancers soon, I miss all the Singaporean from Sri Warisan, the dancers from Mexico, dancers from Buryatia, all the dancers from Indonesia and Philippine dancers from Sikada.
Keep on dancing, keep on living by ZazaZahidah
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