KOREA FOUNDATION

ASEAN Heritage​

Mak Yong – Traditional Malaysian Dance-Drama​​​ 

One could say that the true strength of Malaysia, a country in which different ethnicities and religions peacefully coexist and their respective characteristics converge, is most evident in its arts and culture. The different ethnic groups in Malaysia have long expressed their beliefs and identities in various forms, including art, music, and dance. Among these, the traditional classical drama “Mak Yong” is an art form that combines music, dancing, and acting, while also representing the culmination of a cultural fusion of various religious elements. 

   Mak Yong begins with a sacrificial ceremony, followed by dancing, singing, acting, and improvised monologues and dialogues. Originating from the state of Kelantan in northwest Malaysia in the 15th century, Mak Yong was performed as a royal theater under the direct patronage of the Kelantan Sultanate until the 1920s. Unlike those royal performances that were performed in halls, traditional village performances took place on open stages built of wood and palm leaves. The orchestra, placed on one side, consists of musicians who play traditional hanging bronze gongs and two-headed drums called gendang. The player of the rebab, a three-stringed spiked fiddle, plays a particularly important role as they select the songs before the start of the performance in consultation with the leading actors. Once they decide upon the repertoire, they perform the songs as a set, although on occasion, improvisations are added. 

   The most commonly performed stories have their origins in Kelantan-Pattani mythology. They feature royalty, divinities, clowns, and other characters, and most of the roles are played by women, except those of the clowns. Performing a single story can take place over several consecutive nights, with each performance lasting up to three hours. Mak Yong requires long years of training as the art form has mainly been preserved through oral transmission. Throughout the performance, the leading actors of Mak Yong, who continuously honed their skills in this way, have ample opportunities to demonstrate to the audieicen their talents as singers, dancers, and actors. Their skilled experience, which turns even the movement of their fingertips into a dance, creates a special ambience. Their splendid costumes include a crown decorated with jewels, sarongs that brightly shine, and thick bracelets and earrings. Audience members can be often be seen swaying their bodies along with the leading actress, as they become enthralled by the timbre of her powerful voice, which holds out until the very end of the drama. 

   Mak yong has survived for centuries “and it must survive centuries more,” said former mak yong dancer Ruhani Mohd Zin, in an interview in 2019, expressing her resolve “to bring back the glory days” of the art form. As she put it, “The show must go on” for this traditional form of dance theater that was inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.