The Candle Dance (Tarian Lilin), which is said to have originated from Sumatra, Indonesia, has been arrogated as Malaysia’s own with its own moves, gestures, costumes and music. It is a graceful dance which requires synchronization with a group of dancers holding a plate of lit candle on each hand and ensuring that the fire is not extinguished and the plate kept horizontal with the movement of the hands in rotating the plates, and swaying and bending of the bodies, and even kneeling, to the rhythm of music. The dance is said to have been inspired by a lovely maiden who was given a ring by her suitor who had to go away. She lost it and was distraught when it got dark, so she lit a candle on a plate to continue her search. Haron Mokhtar made headlines when he won the Major Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition. His works delve into old architecture, culture and tradition. He received his Diploma in Fine Art from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1983-1987, and Diploma in Education in 1988. His recent solo, his eighth and completely sold out, Perakam Waktu, in August-September 2018, was held at Galeri Shah Alam, the venue of his first solo in 1994 (Seri Kasih Sayang).