Dancing for a good cause

Cute dancers:These colourfully-attired performers are among 260 pre-schoolers showcasing their talents at a dancing contest.

BENDING their knees and spreading their hands out, a group of young children got ready on stage to perform their Thai classical dance.

The group was among 260 pre-schoolers gathered at the hall of SJK (C) Chung Hwa (2) in Taman Bagan for the Seberang Prai Pre-School Dance Competition recently.

Held for the first time, 27 kindergartens in the area took part in the competition. The children, aged between four and six years old, were dressed in various costumes. There were those dressed in pantaloons and belly button barring blouses for the Arabian dance and a group of children dressed as mime artists.

The event was organised by Bagan Jermal assemblyman Ooi Chuan Aik’s service centre.

Congatulations:Ooi(squatting)presenting the first prize to participants of Tadika Persatuan Pendidikan Akhlak Che Wee Khor.

“We have managed to collect RM3,000 and the proceeds will be given to Pusat Harian Tunas Harapan Pektas in Mak Mandin and the But-terworth branch of the National Au-tism Society of Malaysia,” said Ooi at the event.

He added that the event was also held to expose the younger children to different cultures.

“It is obvious the little children trained hard for their performances. It is important for children to perform well academically and also be active in co-curriculum activities,” he said.

The winning team of the night was the dance troupe from Tadika Persatuan Pendidikan Akhlak Che Wee Khor in Butterworth. They won the first prize of RM300.

The 18 girls and boys in the troupe performed a Chinese traditional dance titled Miracle.

Kindergarten teacher Angie Ng said: “It was not that hard to teach them the steps. The boys performed a dance using drumsticks while the girls performed the ribbon dance.

“It took us only one-and-a-half months to perfect the dance,” she said.

The kindergarten’s younger pupils also walked away with the second prize.

Under the tutelage of kindergar-ten teacher Sim Bee Kian, the children, aged four and five, performed a Japanese Doll dance.

The girls looked adorable in their fetching pink kimonos and feet en-cased in socks with Japanese slippers. The boys were dressed in flowered kimono coats and knee-length shorts.

Third prize-winner was Tadika Simpang Ampat who participants performed a dance with lighted artificial lotus flowers. The girls were dressed in cream chiffon dresses with Mongolian headdresses.