Malaysia is known for its diverse culture and traditions, and we boast a variety of traditional dances and music. We’ve seen locals dance to traditional dances all the time but it’s a rarity to see foreigners try their hands on our traditional dances.
Recently, Belgium content creator Ed People uploaded two TikTok videos of him dancing to traditional Malay dances, wowing locals with his moves. The content creator is known for his videos asking strangers to teach him their favourite dance moves and has even travelled to other countries to learn the local dances there.
@edpeople Malaysia dances 🇲🇾 w/ @KerolMohtar
In the first video, Ed was accompanied by a troupe of traditional Malay dancers believed to be from the Nyala Dance Theatre. The first dance showcased in the video was Zapin, a popular traditional Malay dance. The group then performed Joget, a lively dance originating from Melaka, followed by a performance of Inang, or Mak Inang, a dance believed to originate from the time of the Melaka Sultanate.
The second video featured members from the Ask Dance Company and showcased the moves of Zapin, Terinai, and Dansa Cocos. Terinai, or Inai, is a traditional ceremonial dance while Dansa Cocos is a dance popular amongst the Cocos ethnic in Sabah. In both videos, the content creator dressed in traditional Malaysian garments to match the dances.
@edpeople Malaysia dances 🇲🇾 w/ @ADC
After the videos went viral, many locals were delighted to see the content creator perform our traditional dances. Some even praised his dance skills, commenting that he was a fast learner as traditional dances take time to learn. Other Malaysian fans were also eager to see him perform other traditional dance forms, like Silat and Ngajat.
We were also delighted to see a foreigner show love for our traditional culture and we hope to see more from the dancer!
Adleena contributed to this article.
