KUCHING, July 6 -- Sarawakian talent Dion Das Louis, fondly known as the 'Little Bornean Birdie', has made the state and country proud by clinching second place at the prestigious Dance World Cup World Finals in Burgos, Spain.

The nine-year-old SK Green Road pupil represented Malaysia in the Mini Solo National and Folklore category, performing an ethnic creative dance inspired by the traditional Ngajat Iban and two of Sarawak's iconic birds - the Burung Ruai (Great Argus) and the Kenyalang Hornbill.

He outshone 34 other contestants from around the world, scoring an impressive 93.8 points - just 0.3 points behind the gold medallist from Germany.

"Truth be told, I was initially nervous as there were a lot of good dancers from all over th...