🇲🇾 The dances of Malaysia
14 dances from Malaysia, best known first, across 7 cities and regions.
Cities and regions of Malaysia
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreLion dance舞獅
A costumed dance that mimics a lion to bring luck and drive away evilFolk dance · Group · Procession
🇾🇪 Yemen and 4 moreZapinزافين
A Malay partner dance with Arab roots, performed to the strum of a lute and the beat of drums.Folk dance · Couple
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayilattam
A peacock-inspired dance performed at Murugan temples during festivalsFolk dance · Solo
🇱🇦 Laos and 5 moreRomvong
A slow circle dance for men and women at festivals and gatherings in Southeast AsiaFolk dance · Circle · Group
🇵🇭 Philippines and 1 morePangalay
A traditional fingernail dance of the Tausūg and Bajau peoples in the Sulu Archipelago and Sabah.Folk dance
🇲🇾 MalaysiaSumazau
A paired dance with outstretched arms, performed to gongs in Sabah’s Kaamatan festivalFolk dance · Couple · Group
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 2 moreJogetTarian Joget
A couple's folk dance from Malacca with Portuguese roots and quick duple beats.Folk dance · Couple · Group
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 2 moreNgajatTanda Ngajat
A traditional Iban dance from Sarawak mimicking birds and warriors through rhythmic jumping.Folk dance · Circle · Group
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKolattamகோலாட்டம்
A Tamil folk dance where women strike wooden sticks in circles to create rhythm.Folk dance · Circle · Group
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKavadi Aattamகாவடி ஆட்டம்
A Tamil devotional dance where devotees carry heavy burdens and pierce their skin as offerings to Murugan.Ritual dance · Procession
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreMak yongTarian Mak Yong
A traditional Kelantanese dance-drama with ritual roots and a royal lead.Folk dance · Group
🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreMenoraมโนราห์
A traditional Thai dance-drama from the south, featuring acrobatics and ornate costumes.Dance-drama · Group
🇲🇾 MalaysiaDondang Sayang
A slow Malay dance drama of love poetry, accompanied by violin and drums.Folk dance · Group
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 1 moreReogꦫꦺꦪꦺꦴꦒ꧀
A Javanese dance drama featuring a massive lion mask carried by the teeth of a strongman.Folk dance · Group
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Zapin: Airiz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Reog: Dedesudiana265, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Menora: AjarnRichard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mayilattam: Vaikoovery, CC BY 3.0, source
- Lion dance: Alfresco24, CC BY 3.0, source
- Romvong: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain, source
- Sumazau: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ngajat: Menuaibansarawak, CC0, source
- Pangalay: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kolattam: Iharishs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kavadi Aattam: Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, source