Sampeng singora: the creative folk dance reflects the history of Songkhla province Zapin Creative Dance, ThaiLand

Abstract

Sampeng is rooted in traditional Malay dance (Zapin). The goal of this project is to develop Sampeng Singora, a folk dance, to reflect the cultural identity of Songkhla Province and to ensure its preservation for future generations. Qualitative methods were employed through documentary research, field surveys, and interviews with local artists and cultural experts, which resulted in following findings: (1) Sampeng Singora is derived from the historical name of Songkhla City in 1602; (2) its concept is based on Songkhla City’s three historical eras—Khao Daeng, Laem Son, and Bo Yang; (3) it features male dancers with three pairs of female dancers; (4) the movements integrate four traditional Sampeng Sekapur Sireh patterns with six newly created ones: Boat, Ocean Waves, Singhkhon, Shum Bo Kheng, City Wall, and Mermaid; (5) an original melody was composed; (6) performers were dressed in Malayu-inspired costumes unique to Thai identity; and (7) the performance lasts 5 minutes and 39 seconds. Sampeng Singora is a significant historic moment in Thai performing arts, as Thai artists finally recreated both the dance and the music after 36 years of employing Malaysian and Indonesian dance and music versions. Thus, this project denotes Thailand’s commitment and engagement in safeguarding Zapin folk performance as a shared Malaysian cultural heritage in the ASEAN community.