Dian Piesesha Sandy

“I started learning Sarawak’s cultural dances more than 10 years ago in secondary school. Since then, I’ve been performing at weddings or dinner events in and around Miri. My favourite dances are those of the Iban and Orang Ulu. The movements are slow and soft, and each hand gesture and body turn very precise. This requires the dancer to remain graceful throughout the performance. Besides the graceful dance routines, the traditional costumes we wear are very elaborate and exquisite. It’s not easy to wear them as they are rather heavy, particularly the ‘ngepan Iban’.

“Currently, I’m the advisor to Ilham Santubong, a Curtin Malaysia dance group founded by a former colleague. There are more than 10 of us in the group but I plan to attract more members, including international students, by conducting dance workshops and at the same time, create greater understanding and appreciation of Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage. I foresee bigger things for Ilham Santubong, but for now, we’ll just like to focus on improving our techniques and showmanship.” –Dian Piesesha Sandy, Assistant HR Officer