KOTA KINABALU: Getting third place in any competition is not too bad, especially if the event was your first ever international outing.
This was the case for a group of student dancers from Sabah who call themselves the "Ngalay Yang’s" when they bagged the bronze award in the Andong Maskdance Festival held in South Korea from Oct 2 to 9.
Led by their teacher-manager Noorhayati Awang, the team comprising five girls and four boys aged 12 to 13 placed third behind Singapore (silver) and Russia (gold) in the Abroad Category.
The Malaysian students managed to win the hearts of the judges with their performance of the Limbai Bajau Samah, a traditional Sabah dance.
But equally memorable for the youngsters was the experience they gained during the competition, which saw the participation of some 30 countries.
"It was very exciting for me and my friends because we have never gone out of Malaysia to perform before – this was our very first time," said Caelen Lester Mojiliu.
"I learned about many traditional and folk dances from various countries which actually tell a story or their cultural roots.
"We also saw the respect the Korean people have for their elders because they believe the elders have more life experience and wisdom," said the 13-year-old from Penampang district.
Like his friends, Caelen said he was not disheartened to get third place.
"As long as we enjoyed ourselves there while exploring the wonders of Korea, then none of us have to be disappointed.
"We did our best and there will be opportunities to do better in future," he said.
Assistant team manager Farah Shaliza said many participants and spectators were mesmerised by the Ngalay Yang’s choreography.
"They were especially taken by the colourful ensemble of our costumes and also our props which we made ourselves.
"Likewise, we were also excited to see the traditional apparel of other countries. It has been a great experience for our students," she said.
Farah said for placing third, the team received a certificate of participation and 500,000 Korean won (RM1,780).
"The reward was worthy of the amount of preparation done by the team which worked very hard for the competition.
"We did not go home empty-handed and the students can all be proud," she said.
An extra bonus for the boys and girls, she said, was that the entourage got to explore Andong City where the competition was held as well as Seoul, some 190km away, for two full days.
"I’m sure the students will remember this for a long time," Farah said.
