Chapters
- 01. Bhangra
- 02. Bharatanatyam
- 03. Magunatip
- 04. Joget
- 05. Kuda Kepang
- 06. Lion Dance
- 07. Mak Yong
- 08. Sumazau
- 09. Zapin
Many of us like to dance. We dance during parties with our friends, perform it on stage or just dance when we feel happy.
Did you know that dancing has been around for a long time? One of the earliest historical records of dancing were found in cave paintings in India, dating to about 8000 BCE. There are also tomb paintings depicting dancing in Egypt from 3300 BC.
These early dances were religious in nature. With time, dance evolved and were a part of celebrations, rituals, and entertainment. From Europe to Asia, dance exists all around the world, each with its own history and unique style.
Learning how to dance has many benefits and makes you versatile where you can dance in a club with friends or use it to exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you are interested to learn dancing, there are many resources that you can use to learn it. It doesn’t matter what style of dancing you choose, there are many options of lessons you can take. If you would like to learn dance as a hobby, you can always opt to learn by watching videos, using apps and even video games.
Malaysia is a country well known for its diversity in terms of ethnicities, languages and religions. People from each ethnicity have generally retained their own customs and traditions inherited from their ancestors. This has not only led to a variety of lifestyles, values and beliefs but contributed towards Malaysia having a wealth of unique dance styles.
Bhangra
Bhangra dance originated from the Punjab region of India. It was introduced in Malaysia by the Sikhs who accompanied the British in the early 20th century.
It started out as a dance by the Punjab farmers to make their chores more fun and was also performed during harvest festival.
The traditional bhangra dance is performed in a mix of singing accompanied by music and the beat of the dhol (drum). Other instruments like tumbi, tabla and dhad are also commonly used but the dhol is essential for this dance.
The dancers wear colourful and bright attire which captures the audiences attention to the dance moves. Men usually wear kurta with lungi and turban while woman wear salwar kameez and duppatas.
There are many styles of Bhangra as the dances differ according to the different regions in Punjab. These include, Sammi, Jhummar, Kikli, Giddha, Daankara and many more.
Today, Bhangra is performed all over the world and also often seen in Bollywood movies. There are many variations of it, some are performed using sticks and swords while others incorporate stunts.
Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest classical dances from India. It was originally performed only by woman but is now performed by both men and woman.
This dance started off in the temples of Tamil Nadu and slowly spread across South India and eventually made its way to Malaysia.
The word Bharatanatyam describes the dance. Natyam means dance in Sanskrit. Bharata is a mnemonic:
Bha - derived from the word Bhava means emotions and feelings
Ra - derived from the word Raaga means melody
Ta - derived from the word Tala means rhythm
The dancers wear traditional costume with jewellery and make up. Men wear pleated dhothis covering the lower portion of the body while a few pieces of jewellery cover the upper portion. Women wear tailor-made sari with specially stitched in pleats. The sari is complimented with jewellery.
It is essential for all dancers to wear ankle bells as it help them keep a proper rhythm of their leg movements with the “Tala” sounds.
Check out where you can learn dancing here!
Magunatip
Magunatip which is also known as the bamboo dance is one of Sabah’s most popular traditional dances. This iconic dance which requires dancers to have speed and agility is performed by the Murut people.
In order to perform this dance, three pairs of long bamboo poles are laid out horizontally on the ground. Each pair of bamboo poles are held by two bamboo strikers at opposite ends to form three rows of clapping poles.
The poles are then clapped together to form a rhythm. At this point, the dancers dressed in traditional attire and headdresses will cross the line of clapping bamboo poles by jumping between them without getting their ankles trapped. This is the standard version of how magunatip is performed. However, since there are around 20 sub-ethnic groups of Muruts living in Tenom, Keningau and Nabawan, their versions will differ in choreography and style.
According to the Murut elders, this dance started out as prank many generations ago. A farmer placed two bamboo poles on the ground and tried to trap passer by’s feet. People would hop to avoid their feet being trapped. It slowly evolved into the magunatip dance and was performed during rituals and celebrate the return of headhunters.
Magunatip is an important cultural herritage of Sabah now. It is performed during festivals like Keamatan or Harvest festival.
Joget
The history of joget can be traced back the two well known Portuguese folk dances Branjo and Farapeira. It was introduced in Melaka during the 16th century and is referred to as Chakunchak in this state.
This dance is performed in male-female pairs. Male dancers wear baju melayu, samping and songkok while female dancers wear baju kurung and flower head dress.
The dance movements portray teasing and playing between partners without any physical contact similar to many other traditional dances. There are many types of Joget but the most popular one is known as Joget lambak.
Joget is performed in a quick tempo with a catchy rhythm which is why it is commonly performed during events and social gatherings till today.
Kuda Kepang
Immigrants from Java introduced Kuda Kepang dance to Malaysians when they arrived and settled in Johor. It is said to be created by Wali Songo, the nine saints of Java.
This dance is performed by nine to fifteen dancers dressed in Javanese traditional attire. The dancers sit astride on a mock horse while communicating a story to the audience through their body movements during the performance. This dance is accompanied by the music produced by drums, gongs and angklungs.
Kuda Kepang was famous back in the days for its mystical elements that attracted the crowds. This dance involved spirit possession and it was common for dancers to enter a trance state and perform extreme stunt like eating shards of glass without getting hurt.
However, the mystical elements are no longer encouraged. Kuda Kepang is performed without this elements during events and grand occasions.
Lion Dance
Lion dance was introduced in Malaysia by the Chinese migrants in the 19th century. It is commonly performed during Chinese new year celebrations and opening of new business or when moving into a new home.
This is because, the lion dance is believed to usher in prosperity and good luck. It takes two people under a lion costume to perform this dance. One at the head and the other at the tail. This dance is performed accompanied by music from the tanggul (drums), cymbals and gongs. The music is usually very loud as it is believed to drive away bad fortunes and scare away evil spirits.
Mak Yong
If you are looking for a dance performance encompassing music, acting, singing and storytelling, the Mak Yong dance originating form Kelantan and Patani region of South Thailand is the answer.
The dance and drama portrayal in this dance is so unique that it was actually conferred with the title of Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in the year 2005.
A mak yong performance consists of several performers including the Mak Yong, Pak Yong, Dayang and Peran. The dance is accompanied by musical instruments like the rebab, gong, kesi (finger cymbals) and a few others.
An interesting fact about this dance is that it was actually banned by the conservative state government in 1998 due to the mystical elements like the healing ritual. However, this ban was lifted in 2019.
Sumazau
Sumazau is originated from the largest indigenous group of Sabah, the Kadazan-Dusun people.
The dancers who are in male-female pairs imitate the movement of a flying eagle by stretching their arms on both sides and swing them up and down. The musical instruments that often accompanies the Sumazau dance are gongs and drums.
Sumazau is not only performed as thanksgiving for harvest, resistance against oppression, polytheistic worship, and to cure diseases but also during festivals, weddings and other celebrations.
Zapin
The Zapin dance is believed to have been introduced to Malaysia by middle-eastern traders somewhere around 14th and 15th century.
This dance which is predominantly practiced in Johor was initially performed only by men due to religious and cultural restrictions. However, nowadays it is performed by both men and women all over Malaysia.
The dance movements are graceful and easy on the eyes are complemented by musical instruments like the violin, rebana, gambus gendang and marwas. It used to be performed during religious occasions but is now performed as a form of entertainment during events and functions.
This dance’s popularity has helped it evolve into many different forms. At present, there are at least 20 types of Zapin dances across the region.
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