For the love of the arts and the stage
CHUAH BEE KIM
2009/11/16
The students of a secondary school that emphasises on the arts put what they have learnt on stage. CHUAH BEE KIM sees the year-end results
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| Several plays, selected by the students for the compelling story as much as the historical lesson, were staged. — Pictures by Chuah Bee Kim |
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| The emotion-charged tale of Princess Nabahu. |
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| Johor Education director Sufaat Tumin launches ‘Khazanah Warisan Budaya Bangsa’ on stage. |
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| And the beat goes on with a traditional Malay dance. |
THERE was no shortage of talent at "Khazanah Warisan Budaya Bangsa", held at RTM Auditorium in Johor Baru recently.
The event, organised by Sekolah Seni Johor Baru, packed a spectrum of performances and a full house.
Kicking off the night was an electrifying performance by dancers clad in Chinese, Indian and Malay costumes. Their moves to the same beat were a symbol of national unity.
Form One to Form Three students presented dikir barat, zapin, ghazal and singing performances.
Several short plays were staged, including the sorrowful tale of Princess Nabahu and the colourful tale of Hang Li Po. It is said that Hang Li Po was a Chinese princess, whose marriage to Malacca's Sultan Mansur Shah gave birth to the Baba Nyonya culture.
The gala evening was declared open by Johor Education director Sufaat Tumin on stage. He was accompanied by school principal Rohana Ismail.
Rohana, who joined the school in August 2008, said the students took a month to prepare for the gala.
Nuratika Mohd Yussof, a Form One student, said the students did the choreography, lighting and script writing under the supervision of their teachers.
"It was an exciting time for us as our teachers allowed us to show our creativity and artistic flair. They were supportive of our ideas.
"And now the wonderful part is, our parents are here to see the results of our effort and hard work," Nuratika said.
Twelve students were presented with awards for excellence in academics, theatre, dance, visuals and music.
Mohammad Hazwan Zaki, a Form Three student, was the recipient of the overall best student award.
Sekolah Seni Johor Baru in Jalan Abdul Samad was opened two years ago. It has a curriculum that places equal emphasis on the arts and academic subjects, and is funded by the government.
The idea for such a school was raised by Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who was then the Education Minister.
The school's first intake comprised 75 students.
Today, the school has 174 students, and 75 more are expected to join next year.
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