Zapin Dance in Johor

Zapin Johor dance is a traditional Malay folk dance. This dance is believed to have originated in Arabia where the movement is fast and there are not many dance movements. This dance was popular in the fifties (50s) and sixties (60s). Zapin Johor dance known in two forms of Zapin which are Zapin Melayu and Arabic. These two dances show differences in terms of their adaptive elements. In reality, both genres of zapin originated from an art of the Arab community brought from Hadramaut.

 

In Johor, zapin dance has been accepted as an Islamic art and serves as entertainment either at secular ceremonies or on celebrations of greatness. But in terms of softness and smoothness of traditional dance, Zapin Melayu Johor though born of the adaptations made on Zapin Arab selectively but undeniable Zapin shows more subtlety and beauty of motion of Zapin Arab.

An interesting thing about Zapin Johor dance is the ability to create a sense of brotherhood of dancers and musicians as well as the nature of esprit de corps that can be expressed among them thus breaking the shame of dancers when dancing in public. Symbolically, this zapin dance movement shows the importance of joint efforts rather than individual efforts as well as marginalizing competition between players in groups and between groups. If viewed from this perspective, then the uniqueness and privilege of Zapin Johor dance is very obvious.