Kayong Utara Mayor Hildi Hamid stated in Sukadana on Monday said that it was a matter of immense pride for Kayong Utara to be given the opportunity to represent Indonesia at the international event.
The dance form from Kayong Utara was also performed during the peak event of Sail Kalimata Strait 2016, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo being among the honored guests.
He pointed out that this opportunity will later also help to promote Kayong Utaras tourism at the international level.
"Right now, they are still in the training phase. This is a new type of dance form created by adopting Kayong Utaras values, which will be showcased in Singapore later," Hamid noted.
He expressed hope that the event would offer Kayong Utaras children a broader understanding of the world, especially about Malayan dance forms worldwide.
"Our children, the dancers during the Sail Karimata Strait, were selected to represent Indonesia at the Muara Festival in Singapore. Hence, all Malayan ethnic people from countries around will perform their own creations," the mayor noted.
Arison Ibnur, a Malayan dance expert who was tasked with training Kayong Utaras children for the Muara Festival, said Kayong Utara has good potential for the international event.
Hence, the support of all sectors is needed to tap the existing resources to unearth dance forms that can compete with those of other regions.
"We should create our own distinctive dance forms for each region, so that people from outside would know that there is a special dance of Kayong Utara," Ibnur explained.
Apart from performing the Zapin Senggayong dance at the Muara Festival 2017 in Singapore, Kayong Utara will also present instrumental music from Sanggar Simpang Bertuah and Kayong Utara Malayan songs.
"Several other countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and some Malayan nations, will be participating in that event," he added.
Reported by Teguh Imam Wibowo and Rizal
(Uu.Ian/KR-MBR/INE)
Editor: Ida Nurcahyani
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
