MALAY MAK YONG

                                                                                                       If "feminism" had been a term in the Malay court four hundred years ago, Mak Yong would have been seen as a feminist dance drama. This is because, except for the comedians, all parts were played  by young women. The dance drama was meant for entertaining female royalty in the absence of their men when the latter were away at war. The "female space" was necessary to protect these women from falling into disgrace because their concerned husbands and fathers feared that they might commit immoral activities with male performers in their absence. The presence of women only was necessary to safeguard aristocratic honor. The women were free to do and say what they wanted without being conscious of male presence.
    
The dance originated in Patani (south Thailand) and spread southward into Kelantan in Malaysia. Mak Yong, originally performed as soul worshipping of ancestors, combines elements of romantic drama, dance, and operatic singing. There are no written texts, and hence no two performances are ever the same. The music that accompanies the dance is played on a rebab (bowed lute), tawak-tawak (two hanging gongs), and gendang (two double-headed drums). There is a marked Middle Eastern flavor in the combination of a solo voice, a chorus, and musical instruments in Mak Yong.
A pawang (shaman) initiates the rituals of stage opening prior to a performance. The stories performed are from the old Malay tales, all of which are original and date back to the golden age of the Malay kingdoms of great culture and power. In the past, Mak Yong was a court entertainment, and the Malay Palace was the patron. Mak Yong would be performed four or five times a week at the royal residence. Today, Mak Yong has become a traditional drama for the common people.