Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has achieved First Place in the 19th National Folklore Festival for the University-Level Traditional Dance category. The competition, held from February 26–27, 2024, at Universitas Indonesia’s Student Center, featured participation from 19 universities across Indonesia.
In addition to securing the overall championship, UNNES garnered further accolades, including Best Costume and Best Choreography, solidifying their position as the premier dance team. Meanwhile, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang attained Second Place, and Universitas Sanata Dharma secured Third Place. Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia and Universitas Soegijapranata were awarded First and Second Runner-Up, respectively, while Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang also received the Favorite Winner award.
In this competition, UNNES presented a creative dance work titled Anutzavah, portraying an individual’s inner journey in confronting expectations, fears, and the search for self-identity until finally reaching a point of release. This dance was performed by five students from the Dance Arts Education program of the Faculty of Languages and Arts at UNNES: Ade Irma Dyan Whista Wardani, Ni Ketut Suryaningrum, Yesuana Gita Pintaningtyas, Seto Ferdiansyah, and Immanuel Ananda Ista Kurniawan. The choreography for Anutzavah was created by Immanuel Ananda Ista Kurniawan, with music composed by Dewayana Panji Gautama. Two supervising lecturers supported this work: Sestri Indah Pebrianti, S.Pd., M.A., and Dr. Wahyu Lestari.
The National Folklore Festival is an annual event by Universitas Indonesia to preserve and develop the archipelago’s arts and culture. This competition serves as a platform for students from various universities to showcase their creativity and new interpretations of the rich heritage of Indonesian traditional dance.
With this achievement, UNNES further solidifies its prominence in the national dance art scene. The winners are expected to continue contributing to the promotion of Indonesian arts and culture, both nationally and internationally. (DZ)
