DISPLAYING real grit and determination of hardened performers, the children from the Hiichiikok Foundation recently overcame tight schedules, lack of resources, manpower shortage and, on the eleventh hour, bouts of illness to ensure the Dance with a Chance show went on without a hitch.
This was a gala fundraising musical performance held on July 30, 2022 at Wisma Santa Mariam, Kuala Lumpur.
Staged in association with Rockstarz Performing Arts Studio, 34 under-privileged children aged between six and seventeen wowed the audience with a medley of tunes from Disney’s Encanto and the musical The Greatest Showman.
Under the direction of musical director Gabriel Ambrose, the songs have been interwoven to tell a story reflective of the performers’ own experiences.
“The performance not only showcased these children’s hidden talents but taught them some very valuable lessons. Though faced with so many challenges and obstacles, the children soldiered on,” said Hiichiikok Foundation guardian Frieda Ngui.
“They learned that with perseverance and grit, anything can be overcome, including having an underprivileged background.”
Ngui was particularly proud of the sense of camaraderie that made those children stricken with the flu bug persevere as they did not want to let their peers down.
Under Ambrose’s guidance the children have been diligently rehearsing thrice a week for months in preparation for the big night.
Ngui was effusive in her praise and gratitude for Ambrose and all those who helped make the event happen, adding that Ambrose’s efforts, in particular, gave the children self-confidence and belief that they had the talent to put on a spellbinding show.
Ngui said the long-term goal is to have regular performances such as this to allow the children to further flex their creative muse.
It will also help build a self-sustaining source of revenue via show proceeds allowing for greater exposure to the performing arts for the children at Hiichiikok Foundation.
The Hiichiikok Foundation Home for Children Care was set up to provide a shelter for underprivileged children to have a conducive environment for holistic personal growth not just in their studies, but in every facet of their lives.
It is hoped that the children will leave the Foundation as much better individuals who are ready to take on the world as compared to when they first came to the Home.
Hiichiikok Foundation also provides scholarships to those in need. It believes that education is the best way for one to break free from the cycle of poverty.
The message is that ‘no one should be denied the opportunity to study on account of financial constraints’. The proceeds from the musical performance will go towards realising this goal.
For more information on the Hiichiikok Foundation, visit www.hiichiikokfoundation.com/. – Aug 19, 2022
