Ulik Mayang

The other traditional dance that i have chose to write about is the Ulik Mayang dance. The reason is because I have always been curious about what exactly Ulik Mayang is? If its a form of dance, then why do people talked about ghost stories associated with the 7 spirit of the Ulik Mayang princesses? So I got on the net and this is what I found out. Ulik Mayang dance in its traditional version, is a worship dance. It is originated from Terengganu. In this dance, the dancers use 'mayang pinang' (strings of arecanut's flowers or known as palm ford). While dancing, the 'mayang pinang' will be shaked until the person holding it feels that the 'mayang pinang' alives or moves by itself then it is given to another dancer!!! The dance was once performed to worship the spirit of the sea ( the 7spirit of the sea princesses). The dancing always begins with a person who is suffering from illness either when he catches fish, in the paddy field or any other daily activities in the society. The patient will then healed by a bomoh, a traditional Malay doctor in the traditional way. Seven actors beautifully dressed represent the 7 princesses who come to visit the patient when the bomoh is treating him. Kemayan will be burnt together with chanting of pantun and dancing through the whole performance. However, nowadays the beliefs of spirits has vanished and the dance is performed just for fun.Although Tarian Ulek Mayang was once a folk ritual ceremonial in the Malay society, with its gentle and graceful movement, it has become one of the beautiful traditional dancing in Terengganu culture. Some of these dances remain part of the agenda during certain occasion or ceremony, such as in a wedding or in a formal official function during which the complete set of music instrument will be used and the entire story of the dance will be carefully performed. I think that this is a unique dance.