Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Sanggar Kesenian Aceh (SAKA UGM) dance group once again makes Indonesia proud by winning the 11th International Competition of Folklore, Dance, and Music “Les Etoiles de Paris” 2018 in Paris, France.
In this world-class competition, SAKA UGM wins the title of Grand Prix Winner and successfully surpasses 45 groups of participants from various countries, such as Malaysia, France, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Turkey, Slovakia, and many others.
“SAKA UGM presented a harmonious and coordinated dance that stood out from the other participants. They performed Rapa’i Geleng Dance and Ratoeh Jaroe Dance for the competition, and Ratoeh Pukat Dance at the Gala Concert,” explained Harris Daniswara Kamal, one of SAKA UGM members on Monday (5/7).
The 11th International Competition of Folklore, Dance, and Music “Les Etoiles de Paris” 2018 lasted for four days from May 3-6, 2018. Besides competition, the event also included a souvenir exchange between participants, tour around Paris, and Gala Concert performance by the winners.
In this competition, SAKA UGM delegated 19 dancers consisting of 8 male dancers and 11 female dancers, 2 musicians and 1 official. SAKA UGM won the award of GRAND PRIX WINNER after performing dances that mesmerized the judges and the audience. They had prepared the dance since September 2017. The commitment to bring the best performance for the international stage encouraged the students to hold intensive and serious practice between their academic activities.
“We hope that the achievement of SAKA UGM could inspire the young generation of Indonesia to embrace our national culture and be brave in making Indonesia proud in the international world,” said Harris.