DANCE IN MALAYSIA

Malay Slow Dancer

Malaysia's multi-cultural and multi-racial heritage is most prominently exhibited in its diverse music and dance forms. The dances of the indigenous Malay, Orang Asli and different ethnic peoples of Sabah and Sarawak are unique and enchanting. As the Chinese, Indians and Portuguese settled in Malaysia, the traditional dances of their homelands became a part of Malaysia's culture and heritage.[Source: Malaysian Government Tourism]

Makyomh and menora are traditional forms of dance theater. The Malaysian dancing that is performed at western nightclubs resembles American square dancing. Some of the smaller sultanate courts still have their own gamelan-like, percussion-dominated musical traditions and court dances such as the solemn yet sensual ayak-ayak dance. Performances are, however, at present extremely rare, being mainly restricted to court festivities such as royal marriages or the sultan’s birthday.

The Portuguese of Melaka Farapeira: The Farapeira is a fast, cheerful dance usually accompanied by guitars and tambourines, performed by couples dressed in traditional Portuguese costumes. Branyo: Favoured mainly by the older Portuguese generation, compared to the Farapeira the Branyo is a more staid dance. Male dancers dressed in cowboy-like costumes and female dancers dressed in traditional baju kebayas with batik sarongs sway to the steady rhythm of drums and violins.

Malay Dances

Salakot is a pre-colonial dance of natives using native hats that was used by the Malays

Traditional Malay dances are sometimes performed on festive occasions and accompanied by gamelan music. These dances are typically performed by groups of men, women, or both. Unfortunately, traditional dance is something of a dying art among the Malays in Malaysia. Nevertheless, a number of young choreographers have attempted to revive these dances to create modern Malay dances. [Source: P. Bala “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009]

Examples include the trance dance Kuda Kepang, the courtship dance Joget, the dance Ghazal based on Middle Eastern music and performed by young women for the entertainment of sultans and other members of royal families, and the dance drama Mak Yong performed by actors and actresses imitating heroic tales of sultans and princesses from times gone by.

Types of Malay Dances

Malay Mak Yong: Originating from Patani in Southern Thailand, Mak Yong was conceived to entertain female royalty, queens and princesses, when their men were away at war. Combining romantic drama, dance and operatic singing, tales of the golden age of the Malay kingdoms are dramatised in enchanting performances. [Source: Malaysian Government Tourism]

Kuda Kepang is a traditional dance brought to the state of Johor by Javanese immigrants. Dramatising the tales of victorious Islamic holy wars, dancers sit astride mock horses moving to the hypnotic beats of a percussion ensemble usually consisting of drums, gongs and angklungs.

Zapin: Islamic influence on Malaysian traditional dance is perhaps most evident in Zapin, a popular dance in the state of Johor. Introduced by Muslim missionaries from the Middle East, the original dance was performed to Islamic devotional chanting to spread knowledge about the history of the Islamic civilisation.

Joget: Malaysia's most popular traditional dance, is a lively dance with an upbeat tempo. Performed by couples who combine fast, graceful movements with playful humour, the Joget has its origins in Portuguese folk dance, which was introduced to Melaka during the era of the spice trade.

Tarian Lilin Also known as Candle Dance, it is performed by women who do a delicate dance while balancing candles in small dishes. Silat: One of the oldest Malay traditions and a deadly martial art, Silat is also a danceable art form. With its flowery body movements, a Silat performance is spellbinding and intriguing.

Dikir Barat

Dikir barat is sysnomous with Kelantan, a state in northwest peninsular Malaysia, but is also a popular source of entertainment for the Malay community in Singapore. Traditionally a choral ensemble, a dikir barat group typically comprises a tok juara (lead vocalist), a tukang karut (jester), an awok-awok (chorus) of 12–16 persons, and a percussion ensemble of musicians playing the drums, gong, gong-chime, maracas, and sometimes a bamboo flute. The leader of the group is usually the tukang karut. [Source: National Heritage Borad, Singapore]

During performances, a group’s repertoire opens with tepuk sepuluh (introductory clapping), which sets the tone of the performance, then the lagu juara (opening song), which showcases the tok juara’s vocal talents. This is followed by the karut kelantan (segue) into the karut pattani (call and response).

Next, the tok juara picks up with the karut yankee (upbeat, catchy song), which has a faster tempo, making it the most upbeat part of the performance. Finally, variations of the wau bulan (song of the moon kite) mark the end of the performance. Song lyrics are usually composed by the tukang karut, who uses an allegorical and allusive style for the lagu juara, and a more direct and incisive style for the tukang karut’s parts.

Chinese and Indian Dances in Malaysia

Chinese Lion Dance: Usually performed during the Chinese New Year festival, Lion Dance is energetic and entertaining. According to the legend, in ancient times, the lion was the only animal that could ward off a mythological creature known as Nian that terrorised China and devoured people on the eve of the New Year. Usually requiring perfect co-ordination, elegance and nerves of steel, the dance is almost always performed to the beat of the tagu, the Chinese drum, and the clanging of cymbals. [Source: Malaysian Government Tourism]

Dragon Dance: The dragon is a mythical creature that represents supernatural power, goodness, fertility, vigilance and dignity in Chinese culture. Typically performed to usher in the Chinese New Year, the Dragon Dance is said to bring good luck and prosperity for the year to come. Usually requiring a team of over 60 people, this fantastic performance is a dazzling display of perfect co-ordination, skill and grace.

The Indian minority in Malaysia cultivates its classical dance traditions to some degree, and the South Indian bharatanatyam solo dance, for example, is now taught and also performed in Malaysia. Indian Bharata Natyam: This classical Indian dance is poetry in motion. Based on ancient Indian epics, this highly intense and dramatic dance form uses over 100 dance steps and gestures. As mastery requires many years of practice, some children begin learning the dance form at the age of five.

Bhangra is a lively folk music and dance form of the Sikh community. Originally a harvest dance, it is now part of many social celebrations such as weddings and New Year festivities. Typically centred around romantic themes with singing and dancing driven by heavy beats of the dhol, a double-barreled drum, the bhangra is engagingly entertaining.

Malaysia's Gravity-Defying Lion Dance Troupes

During Lunar New Year celebrations and other festivals and cultural vents, Malaysia's leading lion dance troupes put on gravity-defying performances by leaping in full costume between poles, to the beat of drums and crashing of cymbals and gongs.The traditional Chinese lion dance has long been part of the festivities in Malaysia but it is performed with an acrobatic style not found in other countries. [Source: Ebrahim Harris, Reuters, February 9, 2021]

Malaysian troupes have elevated the lion dance art form with complex choreography, precision, and physically demanding stunts. A defining feature of Malaysian lion dance is the “high pole” or jong performance, where dancers leap between elevated platforms that can reach around 8 to 10 feet high. This innovation, pioneered by troupes such as Kun Seng Keng Lion Dance Troupe and Khuan Loke Lion Dance Troupe, requires exceptional balance, strength, and coordination, turning performances into a test of athletic skill as much as cultural expression.

The lion dance is traditionally believed to bring good fortune, ward off evil spirits, and symbolise prosperity and happiness. Performers imitate the movements of a lion in sync with rhythmic drumming, cymbals, and gongs, creating a dynamic performance that blends ritual symbolism with theatrical energy.

In Malaysia, lion dance has also evolved into a sport-like discipline. Performers often train intensively after regular working hours, managing heavy costumes that can weigh between 10 and 15 kilograms while executing demanding routines. Master craftsmen such as Siow Ho Phiew have contributed to the preservation and refinement of traditional lion head making, ensuring authenticity alongside innovation.

Dances of Sabah, Sarawak and the Orang-Asli

Sabah & Sarawak Ngajat: The Warrior Dance is a traditional dance of Sarawak's Iban people. This dance is usually performed during Gawai Kenyalang or 'Hornbill Festival'. Reputedly the most fearsome of Sarawak's headhunters, the tribe's victorious warriors were traditionally celebrated in this elaborate festival. Wearing an elaborate headdress and holding an ornate long shield, the male warrior dancer performs dramatic jumps throughout this spellbinding dance. [Source: Malaysian Government Tourism]

Datun Julud: The Hornbill Dance is a traditional dance of Sarawak's Kenyah women. Created by a Kenyah prince called Nyik Selong to symbolise happiness and gratitude, it was once performed during communal celebrations that greeted warriors returning from headhunting raids or during the annual celebrations that marked the end of each rice harvest season. Performed by a solo woman dancer to the sounds of the sape, beautiful fans made out of hornbill feathers are used to represent the wings of the sacred bird.

Sumazau is a traditional dance of Sabah's Kadazan people. Usually performed at religious ceremonies and social events, it is traditionally used to honour spirits for bountiful paddy harvests, ward off evil spirits and cure illnesses. Male and female dancers perform this steady hypnotic dance with soft and slow movements imitating birds in flight.

Another highly popular and entertaining traditional dance is Bamboo Dance. Two long bamboo poles are held horizontally above the ground at ankle-height. They are clapped together to a high-tempo drumbeat. Requiring great agility, dancers are required to jump over or between the poles without getting their feet caught.

The traditional dances of the Peninsular Malaysia's Orang Asli are strongly rooted in their spiritual beliefs. Dances are commonly used by witch-doctors as rituals to communicate with the spirit world. Such dances include Genggulang of the Mahmeri tribe, Berjerom of the Jah-Hut tribe and the Sewang of the Semai and Temiar tribes.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings; 1993; New York Times; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times; Smithsonian magazine; Encyclopedia.com; National Geographic; Live Science; Malaysia Tourism websites; Malaysia government websites; UNESCO; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Natural History magazine; Times of London; Library of Congress; The Conversation; The New Yorker; Time; BBC; CNN; Reuters; Associated Press; AFP; Lonely Planet Guides; Google AI; Wikipedia; The Guardian and various websites; books and other publications.

Last updated May 2026