Zapin

This is the first work published on zapin, a Malaysian performing art which extends to Singapore and East Sumatra. The syncretic combination of Arab and Malay performance elements in this dance is explained in detail with the extensive use of dance and music notations. The book shows how the transition of zapin from a communal level to a national one involved not only a contextual change but also change in its structure and cultural meaning. It also traces the evolution of the Malay dance form from a participatory art to one that is passively observed and investigates the music and dance structure of the genre.