By LEW KAI PING metro@thestar.com.my
Photos by CAROL LEONG
THE Malaysia-China Cultural and Arts Association (PKKMC) in conjunction with the Chinese Folk Dance Grade Test Centre (CFDGTC) are organising a Chinese Children Folk Dance Performance.
The performance will include a friendly competition that will be held at four different locations – Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Klang and Morib from Jan 31 to Feb 6.
Five teams from China — Beijing, Hainan, Henan, Qing Dao and Gui Zhou — as well as five local teams, two from Malacca, two from Seremban, and one from Kuala Lumpur will be competing against one another.
The teams will perform at the four different locations where marks will be given for each performance, and averaged out.
The winners will be announced on Feb 5 at a prize giving ceremony.
There will be three gold medals, five silver medals, and seven bronze medals to be given out.
CFDGTC representative James Tee said the competition was meant to allow the children to have a chance to perform and at the same time enjoy themselves.
It also intends to instil an appreciation of the evolution of folk dance and the meanings behind them in the public.
In between the competition performances, there will also be childrens’ folk dance workshops and performances of Malay, Indian and Chinese traditional dances.
“At the same time, we want to allow the children from the CFDGTC of China to experience the cultural dances of the Malay, Indian and Peranakan folk in return.” said CFDGTC representative Ge Yamei.
The event in Malacca comes with an entry fee of RM20.
The Kuala Lumpur edition will charge a fee of RM38, while the Morib event will be free, but is exclusively for the guests of the Gold Coast Resort in Morib.
The entry fees collected will be used for three different purposes’ to cover the expenses of organising the competition; an upcoming international conference in May by the UTAR Postgraduate Chinese Studies Society, (a co-organiser of the competition); and invitations to underprivileged children interested in participating or attending the events who are unable to afford it.
For enquiries, call Chua Fong Ling at 03-2143 8332.