Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

Kota Kinabalu: Six dancers from Sabah are in the Malaysian team that will compete in Burgos, Spain, from July 3 to 12.

They will compete with some 120,000 dancers from over 60 countries, showcasing the best of youth dance performances.

Their journey reflects months of training, national qualifiers, and countless hours of hard work and sacrifice.

Alyssa Lim, a parent accompanying the group, said they are aiming for as many medals as possible.

“Our dancers will perform both classical ballet and traditional folklore dance, combining discipline and national identity in every performance. 

“They’ve prepared for months to reach this level, and we’re proud to bring Malaysia’s name to the international stage,” she said.

One of the participants, Tiara Izz Zayani (11), was a champion in the Children’s Folklore Trio at the DWC 2024 Grand Finals. 

This year, she has again qualified in the Children Solo in National and Folklore Category 2025 with her performance titled “Kreasi Zapin Galit”.

Tiara, who dreams of becoming a cultural dance ambassador, is passionate about promoting Malaysian heritage through movement.

Another dancer, Ivana Iman Binti Mohammad Ezral, 10, placed seventh in classical ballet at the DWC 2024 Grand Finals. She will once again represent Malaysia this year.

Faith Kennedy, 13, will perform classical ballet in the Children Solo Ballet Repertoire category. She believes this experience is more than just a competition, it’s a chance for cultural exchange.

“This journey is about more than winning. Dance is a universal language. From ballet to traditional folk dance, our dancers represent Malaysia’s diversity, strength and warmth. 

“As they share our stories through dance, they’ll also make global friendships and learn from others,” Alyssa said.

She said the team brings Malaysian flag pins to exchange as gifts, small tokens of identity and goodwill, connecting hearts across cultures.

The dancers call this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, made possible through generous government sponsorship and support.

“We’re very thankful to our State and Federal leaders, namely Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan, Datuk Ewon Benedick, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Datuk James Ratib, Datuk Matbali Musah, Chan Foong Hin, Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus Sakmud, Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar, and many more agencies and supporters,” she added.

The team was grateful to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac), Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED), and Uniqlo Malaysia, for providing travel wear that kept dancers comfortable and stylish.

They also expressed gratitude to the IEC Art Foundation for continuously supporting and nurturing youth talent in the arts.

“All this support made their dream possible,” she said.