The Tortoise traditional dance was inspired by the community’s observation of tortoises that live in rivers, lakes or pools. It started from an event whereby a fisherman unexpectedly hooked a tortoise. The community made the event as a joke, there then sparked a tortoise dance movement. This dance was in its splendour era during the 1950s to the 1960s. This dance was spotted at the earliest originated and rooted at Sarang Tiong Village, Endau, Kuala Rompin, Pahang, inspired and developed by expert individuals in the martial arts of silat, and created as entertainment. A dancer’s body movement and facial expression are according to a tortoise’s behaviour. The dance movement and dancers’ facial mimics are adapted so as to add to the humourous entertainment element that can attract the audience with comedy actions as well as entertaining. There are three versions of this dance according to its location. At Sarang Tiong Village it was inspired from an event whereby a wife who had a penchant to eat tortoise but her husband could not catch one. Then the wife dreamt an old man gave her the tip to catch a tortoise and that was to use banana bait as this is the tortoise’s favourite food. After the incident tortoise became a hot topic at the village. To celebrate the success there then sparked an idea to realise a dance form from a tortoise’s movement that can attract the public with a humorous and tickling performance. The Tortoise Dance at Pulau Rumput Village, Pekan, Pahang was brought in by Mr Iderus bin Ginuh from Alai Village in Rompin to Pekan in !964. At Jambu Village, Pekan this dance is based on the experience of a fisherman named Pak Ngah Hitam in Endau, Kuala Rompin who was amazed at a tortoise’s behaviour when trying to eat his bait. He then imitated the tortoise’s actions and stylised a dance resembling that of a tortoise movement with no link to the silat matial arts movement.

The Joget Gamelan is a court dance that exudes grace, dignity and beauty. The Gamelan Dance is a name given to a number of dances that are accompanied by the Gamelan musical instrument. This dance that is performed by women only was first introduced in Pahang during the reign of the first Sultan Ahmad Muadzam Shah, crowned on 6th August, 1882 and reigned until 8th May, 1914, and was introduced to the Terengganu Court in the 1920s by the late HRH Tengku Ampuan Mariam, a princess from Pahang who later became the consort of HRH Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah, the Sultan of Terengganu from 1914 to 1942. The Joget Gamelan as it is called, comes with a nine-piece ensemble. The musical instruments are various types of gongs, barrel drums, as well as xylophone and metallophone equipments. Among the many popular dances at that time were the Timang Burung, Ayak – Ayak, Togok, Geliung, Kunang – Kunang Mabuk, and Lambang Sari. Gamelan has now lifted its veil to audiences and listeners beyond the royal circle, thus allowing the beauty and splendor of this precious heritage to be enjoyed and explored by generations to come.

The Joget Gamelan is a court dance that exudes grace, dignity and beauty. The Gamelan Dance is a name given to a number of dances that are accompanied by the Gamelan musical instrument. This dance that is performed by women only was first introduced in Pahang during the reign of the first Sultan Ahmad Muadzam Shah, crowned on 6th August, 1882 and reigned until 8th May, 1914, and was introduced to the Terengganu Court in the 1920s by the late HRH Tengku Ampuan Mariam, a princess from Pahang who later became the consort of HRH Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah, the Sultan of Terengganu from 1914 to 1942. The Joget Gamelan as it is called, comes with a nine-piece ensemble. The musical instruments are various types of gongs, barrel drums, as well as xylophone and metallophone equipments. Among the many popular dances at that time were the Timang Burung, Ayak – Ayak, Togok, Geliung, Kunang – Kunang Mabuk, and Lambang Sari. Gamelan has now lifted its veil to audiences and listeners beyond the royal circle, thus allowing the beauty and splendor of this precious heritage to be enjoyed and explored by generations to come.

The Joget Gamelan is a court dance that exudes grace, dignity and beauty. The Gamelan Dance is a name given to a number of dances that are accompanied by the Gamelan musical instrument. This dance that is performed by women only was first introduced in Pahang during the reign of the first Sultan Ahmad Muadzam Shah, crowned on 6th August, 1882 and reigned until 8th May, 1914, and was introduced to the Terengganu Court in the 1920s by the late HRH Tengku Ampuan Mariam, a princess from Pahang who later became the consort of HRH Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah, the Sultan of Terengganu from 1914 to 1942. The Joget Gamelan as it is called, comes with a nine-piece ensemble. The musical instruments are various types of gongs, barrel drums, as well as xylophone and metallophone equipments. Among the many popular dances at that time were the Timang Burung, Ayak – Ayak, Togok, Geliung, Kunang – Kunang Mabuk, and Lambang Sari. Gamelan has now lifted its veil to audiences and listeners beyond the royal circle, thus allowing the beauty and splendor of this precious heritage to be enjoyed and explored by generations to come.

The state of Pahang is the biggest in Peninsular Malaysia on the aspect of area and famous with a wealth of a myriad of her cultures and customs. Among them is the performing arts of Gendang Pahang or the Pahang Drum that is influenced by deep Islamic elements. The Pahang Drum has its own song called Bujang Hilir. This music begins with an opening beat and ends with a ‘killing’ beat or ‘dead beat’, apart from other beats. This music is played during wedding and palace customary ceremonies as well as accompanying silat martial arts performance and Tarian Inai dance. The instruments are drums and gong. This music is not limited to be played by men only as ladies are also involved in this arts form.