DOUBLE GOLD GLORY! SMK BINGKOR DANCERS TRIUMPH AT DWC FINALS

By Linda Khoo Hui Li

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) --   Sabahan dancers triumphed on the world stage! SMK Bingkor's talented dancers from Keningau, Sabah, dazzled the world once more by clinching two gold medals at the Dance World Cup (DWC) World Finals in Prague, Czech Republic, on Thursday.

The Prague Congress Centre erupted in cheers as "Negaraku" was played twice at the prestigious event, dubbed the 'Olympics of Dance.'

Mohamad Haykal clinched the gold medal in the Junior Solo National & Folklore (Boys) category with a stunning performance of the traditional Murut Tahol dance from Tenom, Sabah, scoring an impressive 97.5. Germany took silver with 92.4, and Taiwan earned bronze with 91.8.

In the Junior Duet/Trio National & Folklore category, Firencley Lius, Wilfred Marcus, and Mohamad Haykal triumphed with another gold medal, surpassing competitors from India and Spain. Their captivating performance of the Dusun Rumanau dance from the Sook ethnic group in Keningau was choreographed by Brandon Balasius @ Boichore.

Malaysian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Suzilah Mohd Sidek, and embassy staff were present to cheer on the dancers.

Caroline Jreneus, head of the SMK Bingkor delegation, expressed pride in the students’ first appearance at the world finals, securing two gold medals.

"With three months of intense preparation, the students aimed to showcase their best performance at this year's 'Olympics of Dance.' We are very happy and thankful for the achievement," she told Bernama when contacted.

She also thanked everyone who contributed to funding the dancers' trip to the Czech Republic this year.

"Our initial plan was to showcase the talents of six dancers across three categories at the DWC World Finals, but funding limitations forced us to downsize to three dancers in two categories this year. We hope to bring them back to compete next year," she said.

Caroline shared that the school organised fundraising efforts, including a jogathon and public donations, to cover expenses for the students and teachers to compete in the finals.

Suzilah congratulated the dancers and teachers from SMK Bingkor for their outstanding performances.

"Congratulations to SMK Bingkor for their gold medal! It was wonderful to witness our talented boys display skills that were applauded by fellow contestants. We are very proud of them for making their way here.

“We should also compliment the SMK Bingkor teachers, parents, and all those who have been supportive of their endeavour and continue to support them in their dance journey," she told Bernama.

Last week, young dancers from three other schools in Sabah—SK Mutiara, SK St. Agnes, and SK Sri Gaya—stunned judges at the DWC World Finals, winning three gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.

The DWC World Finals, held from June 27 to July 6, is the largest dance competition for children in the world, featuring more than 9,500 dancers from over 54 countries at the 10-day event.

--BERNAMA