Tanjungpura University emerges winner of Borneo Dance Festival 2018 in Bintulu
BINTULU: Tanjungpura University ( Untan) from West Kalimantan in Indonesia emerged the overall winner of the justconcluded Borneo Dance Festival 2018 in Bintulu.
Lambung Mangkurat University ( Unlam) and Sidma College Sabah placed respective second and third in the event, which entered its seventh edition this year.
The Untan team received RM5,000, the challenge trophy and a certificate, while Unlam and Sidma College Sabah pocketed RM3,000 and RM1,000, respectively. Untan also won the ‘Costume’ and ‘Choreography’ awards. Universitas Palangkaraya ( UPR) and Universiti Teknologi Mara ( UiTM) Sarawak were the respective first and second runners- up in the ‘Costume Award’ category, while Unlam and Sidma College Sabah placed second and third, respectively, in the ‘Choreographer Award’ category.
Sarawak Arts Council chief executive officer Sharkawi Amit presented the prizes during the closing ceremony at Dewan Sri Kenyalang of Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM) Bintulu Campus.
He was representing Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the event.
The dance festival showcased the cultural diversity of Borneo through live traditional dance performances by students from institutions higher education.
This seventh edition – hosted by UPM Bintulu in collaboration with Sarawak’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Bintulu Resident’s Office and Sarawak Arts Council – gathered 13 dance troupes from universities across Borneo.
Apart from the host, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak ( Unimas), UiTM Kota Samarahan Campus and Sidma College Sarawak, other participating universities were UiTM Kota Kinabalu Campus ( Sabah), Universiti Malaysia Sabah ( Labuan International Campus), Sidma College Sabah, University of Brunei Darussalam ( UBD), as well as those from Kalimantan namely Untan, Unlan, UPR, Mulawarman University and Borneo Tarakan University. Deputy Bintulu Resident Hussaini Hakim, UPM vice- chancellor Prof Datin Paduka Datuk Dr Aini Ideris, UPM deputy vicechancellor ( students affairs and alumni) Prof Mohd Roslan Sulaiman, and UPM Bintulu Campus director Prof Bujang Kim Huat wer also present.