Development Phase of Traditional Dance in the State of Perak, Malaysia: A Literature Review

This paper aims to review literature regarding the development phase of traditional dance in the state of Perak, Malaysia. This development phase will be looked into by reviewing Perak’s history, with a focus on the art of Malay traditional dance. Based on this literature review, it is found that there is difficulty in finding reference materials on the traditional dance of Perak as there is a lack of documentation. Parts of the literature being reviewed include (i) the history of Perak, (ii) culture in general, (iii) traditional arts in Perak, and (iv) traditional dance in Perak. Each topic is discussed, exploring the existence of the art of traditional dance in Perak that brought about cultural symbols in each area of the state. In this paper, cultural symbol refers to traditional dance, that went through a development phase in Perak and was passed down generation by generation until today, has evolved due to sociological factors among the people of Perak. Therefore, efforts to strengthen the development of traditional dance in Perak is of significant importance to ensure that this art form can still be witnessed in the future.