The Zapin Melayu dance of Johor: From village to a national performance tradition.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the historical evolution and transformation of a particular Malay dance genre from a regional into a national dance form. The research focuses on the Zapin Melayu dance of Johor, the southern-most state of Peninsular Malaysia bordering Singapore. In Johor, the Zapin dance is found in two different forms; one is recognized as the Zapin Melayu (Malay Zapin), the other as Zapin Arab (Arab Zapin). Zapin Melayu originated as a result of cultural adaptation and assimilation with Zapin Arab. Zapin Melayu shares similar performance styles with the Zapin of Sumatera, Singapore and the Riau Islands. The regional elements of Zapin Melayu, however, were incorporated into Malay popular culture after the turn of the twentieth century. The processes of change through which Zapin Melayu was integrated into the national popular culture transformed the genre into a newer dance tradition known as the National Zapin. The transformation of Zapin Melayu into the National Zapin brought about structural changes in the dance performance. From a participatory and flexible village form, the dance genre was transformed into a more rigidly stylized form of expression. The emergence of the National Zapin from the tradition of Zapin Melayu illuminates not only the evolution of a genre of performing art but also the way in which Malay performance identity is being reformulated and redefined through the introduction of alien elements. Both Zapin traditions are still performed today. The Zapin Melayu, although declining in popularity, is still performed in the villages in Johor. The National Zapin on the other hand has become a popular folk dance tradition and is today performed not only in Malaysia but also in southern Thailand and Singapore.