TRADITIONAL culture enthusiasts will be treated to an online performance of the graceful Manora dance at the finale of Panggung Rakyat Cendana tomorrow.
For the closing episode of Panggung Rakyat 2021, Cendana collaborated with Pusaka to present Manora, featuring Kumpulan Manora Cit Manit Bukit Yong from Pasir Puteh, Kelantan.
Manora, also known as Menora, is a folk dance-drama tradition practised by the Thai community in the north Malaysian states of Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Penang. Manora originates in southern Thailand, where it is known as Nora Chatri or Nora.
Thailand’s Nora has just been inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
A Manora performance incorporates stylised dance, singing, comedy, and drama. Manora in Malaysia has distinctive features and is also known among practitioners as ‘Manora Khek’ or ‘Manora Melayu’.
In Kelantan, there has been mutual influence among the traditions of Manora and Mak Yong. Manora in Kelantan incorporates Kelantanese music and dialogue in Kelantanese dialect.
Manora is traditionally performed on special occasions such as Buddhist temple ceremonies, community gatherings including weddings, as well as to celebrate Thai festivals such as Loy Krathong and Songkran.
The word ‘manora’ derives from a Buddhist jataka tale about Manora, a mythical bird-princess who falls in love with a human prince, Phrak Shuthon.
This tale forms the basis of the tradition’s main dance sequence in which the principal dancer, in the role of Phrak Suthon, performs a courting dance with Manora and her celestial sisters.
Manora dance movements are characterised by backward-bent fingers and outstretched arms, with graceful gestures that reflect those of a mythical bird. The opening dance is followed by a lakon (dramatic sequence), during which various stories are performed by the principal dancer, supporting dancers and supporting actors.
The intricate costume of a Manora dancer consists of the crown-like headdress, known as ‘kecopong’ in Malay and ‘sert’ in Thai; long curved silver nails known as ‘canggai’ in Malay and ‘lép’ in Thai, a beaded bodice known as ‘laa’ in Malay and ‘sooi’ in Thai, and the winged Manora known as ‘sayap sandang’ in Malay and ‘harng’ in Thai.
The musical ensemble that accompanies a Manora performance consists of gong, gendang, geduk, gedumbang, canang, kesi, cerek and serunai.
For Panggung Rakyat: Manora, cultural organisation Pusaka recorded the dancers and musicians Kumpulan Manora Cit Manit Bukit Yong from Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, with principal dancer Amnuai Eler.
The recording features a full-length Manora dance sequence, rarely performed today. It also includes interviews with Amnuai Eler and Ah Tid Ah Sing, another principal dancer of Kumpulan Cit Manit.
Amnuai and Ah Tid, well known Manora practitioners in Kelantan, are both disciples of the revered Manora master, Eler, Amnuai’s father.
Panggung Rakyat Cendana was first launched in 2019 in partnership with DBKL as a monthly public arts programme featuring authentic traditional performances at the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
The platform aims to encourage new audiences to participate in the arts, create greater conversations that unite Malaysians through culture, and build an immersive experience that will inspire the public.
For the 2021 edition, Panggung Rakyat goes online in light of the pandemic and will premiere twice a month until December 2021.
Join us for Panggung Rakyat: Manora, to premiere tomorrow at 8.30pm, at Cendana Malaysia's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CendanaMalaysia
For further information on the Manora tradition, contact Pusaka: [email protected] – The Vibes, December 23, 2021
