#NSTviral: Chinese teen wins praise for graceful Zapin performance

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Chinese teenager has won praise online for his graceful performance of the traditional Malay dance Zapin.

Eric Tan Zhen Long, 14, a student of SMK Sri Muar in Johor, caught attention after a video of the performance was shared on Threads by the group's choreographer, Mohamad Eddy Hafifi Chuai.

Speaking to the New Straits Times, Eddy said Tan had no professional dance experience before taking up the art in 2025.

The troupe, Arunika Nidera Tari, won first place and Best Choreography in the secondary school category at Festival Zapin Jauhar 2026 in Iskandar Puteri on Oct 29.

Eddy said Tan was also named Best Male Dancer at the national-level Malaysian Schools Dance Competition, organised by the Education Ministry in June.

Established in 2024, the group comprises Malay, Chinese and Indian students.

"The dancers regularly attend Zapin workshops and undergo training at school," Eddy said.

The Threads post has since garnered more than 109,000 views, with viewers praising the dancers' skills and the performance's ability to bring people together.

"It's an annual event, right? It can be included in the tourism attraction calendar! Good job, everyone!" user nourcharme wrote.

User lolarose_19 said she had not realised Zapin could be so engaging, praising the dancers for taking pride in their performance.

Another user praised Tan's graceful movements, saying Johor's cultural identity was evident in his performance.

"I'm getting goosebumps. Art brings us together," another commenter wrote.

Zapin is a traditional Malay dance characterised by rhythmic footwork and graceful movements, accompanied by lively music played on instruments such as the gambus, a type of lute, accordion and rebana, a frame drum.

User melazayn28, who watched the performance live, said: "I watched it live yesterday. So impressive. Good job, guys."