International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net Volume 11, Issue 10, 2020 Contemporary Malay Dance in Singapore – Riding the Waves of Change Muhammad Fazli Taib Saearania*, Azrin Abdul Rahimb, aDepartment of Performing Arts, Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia, bAKSI – Regional Arts & Cultural Academy Limited, Goodman Arts Centre, Singapore, Email: a*
[email protected] Malay dance in Singapore has evolved dramatically since the birth of the nation in 1965. However, Malay dance itself has a long history stretching back hundreds of years in the Malay Archipelago with Arabic and Portuguese influences shaping the various dances over the centuries. This research aims to capture the moment when the paradigm shift occurred and the subsequent transformation of the Malay dance scene in Singapore. One of the aims of this research is to record the evolvement of Malay dance for the preservation of Malay cultural heritage as part of Singapore’s history for future generations. As the researchers try to record the paradigm shifts that have taken place in Malay traditional arts, the researchers are reminded of the centuries of unwritten history that have been inherited from our forefathers. This tradition of the oral dissemination of history could have been the reason why important milestones in the Malay traditional and performing arts have not been recorded and are difficult to trace. There is now a sense of urgency to record the plethora of evidence of shifts and movement in Malay dance in Singapore which plays a vital role in the nations’ cultural landscape.