Not all east-west mix works

Dancers performing the Tarian Mengadap Rebab, the opening dance of the Makyong theatre.

ALL ART forms evolve with time through the process of evolution dictated by the development of technology that contributes to the changing tastes of the public. We have witnessed changes in the aesthetic and functional aspects of traditional performing arts forms like the wayang kulit and mak yong.

For example, mak yong which began in the 16th century court of the Kingdom of Patani, then a part of the Malay world and now in southern Thailand, came to Kelantan some 200 years ago and has since been identified as a Kelantan traditional performing arts. From its inception and through its period of glory during the time of Temenggung Abdul Ghafar who set up the Mak Yong Academy in Kelantan in 1923, this art form has undergone many changes.