Malaysia is a land of diverse population, which in turn, introduces a variety of cultural components. Indigenous tribes, Malays, Chinese, and Indians have all contributed to the culture of the country. Significant influences of Persian, British, and Arabic cultures can also be seen in Malaysian culture.

The country has a large population of around 31,809,660 individuals. Malaysia’s citizenry comprises of immigrant workers from various foreign nations. It is linguistically diverse, comprising of 112 indigenous and 22 foreign languages. People from different ethnicity and religious background bring to the table, components of their own culture, which further enriches the country’s cultural diversity.

Inhabitants of Malaysia celebrate a variety of festivals throughout the year. Secular festivals such as Hari Merdeka or Independence Day, Labour Day, and Malaysia Day are held with zeal and great festivity. In addition to holidays like Hari Raya Puasa, Maulidur Rasul, and Islamic New Year or Awal Muharram, the country also celebrates Chinese New Year, the Hindu festival of Diwali, Thaipusam, and Wesak.

A Haven of Vibrant Performing Arts

The country also offers diverse art forms, some of which include shadow puppetry, Chinese opera, classical Indian dances, or Borneo’s bamboo dances. Other dance forms which are popular in Malaysia include joget, a popular Malay dance performed at cultural festivals and weddings; the bhangra dance, which is very much a feature of the Sikh community,  the graceful Sumazau dance, and so on.

Malaysia has a rich heritage when it comes to music. The country’s traditional music is based on percussion instruments. Drums are the most important musical instruments used to play this type of music. Artists perform on at least 14 types of drums. Other traditional musical instruments include rebab, gongs, trumpets, flutes, and so on. Music is an integral part of weddings, birth ceremonies, harvest festivals, and storytelling events.

Dance as a Prominent Art Form

Dance has remained a major cultural competent of the country. It is very popular among the inhabitants. This art form is not only considered as a source of entertainment and leisure, but also a reservoir of knowledge, inspiration, traditional, and artistic experience. Holding on to the roots of Malay tradition, dance also opens doors to various opportunities for enthusiasts, who want to enhance their skills, while building a bright career path in this field.

Accordingly, they plan to select and pursue education from the foremost dance institutes, which can nurture their skills, while building a bright career path and establishing themselves in this arena. The leading dance institutes of the country leave no stone unturned to hone the skills of the students, while providing them with dedicated academic, infrastructural, and career-development facilities.

Nurturing Students Efficiently

One such noteworthy institute providing excellent training and education in dance is The Great Dance Academy. It was established in the year 2010 and is situated at Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia. Being a reputed dance institute, the academy not only offers routine classes to the students, but also, prepares them for various examinations.

The academy offers training in different dance forms which include, Ballet, Latin, Gymnastics, Modern Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary Dance and many more. Besides group class, it also offers private lessons and competition choreography.

Every year, the academy sends its students for Ballet RAD examination, Latin and Street NATD examination, Modern Jazz and Hip Hop CSTD examinations, and so on. Apart from that, the students also have the opportunities to participate in external competitions and performances organized locally and internationally. It also sends the students out for ballet competition, latin and street competitions, gymnastic competitions, , and other such events.

About the Erudite Leader

The person responsible for steering The Great Dance Academy towards success is none other than Karen Lim, the Principal. She began studying ballet at a very young age. During this span, Karen was also involved in various productions, dance dramas, school concerts, festivals, and competitions. She has performed both locally and internationally in countries such as Australia.

After completing her ballet studies, she became a registered teacher for Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), London, UK. Karen also graduated in Australia in courses such as ballet, contemporary, jazz, and drama. Throughout her tenure in Australia, Karen participated in various productions and also got the opportunity to perform at the Sydney Opera House.

Eventually, she took up Chinese dance for a few years, while performing locally. This led Karen to perform in Istana Budaya under the guidance of esteemed choreographers such as Ramli Ibrahim and Wong Kit Yaw. Besides that, she also pursued Latin dancing for a few years and completed her bronze and silver examinations.

Currently, she is putting her heart and soul in her academy by offering the students the best dancing experience. Apart from preparing them for examinations and competitions, she also choreographs performances for her academy’s concerts and other competitions. In the meantime, Karen also plans to focus on her ballet studies and gather knowledge and training. Furthermore, she intends to compete more in Latin dancing,