Menora (dance)

Menora (Jawi: منورا) is a type of dance drama of south Thailand origin and practised mainly in the northern states of Malaysia and southern provinces of Thailand. Menora also known as Manora (มโนราห์, มโนห์รา) Nora (โนรา) in Thai language.

The basic features of the performance include a lengthy invocation, a dance by the main character, and a play or skit. The invocation is enacted by slow rhythmic movements of legs, arms and fingers. The dramatic repertoire of Menora performance is based on Thai legends of Manohara, derived from Buddhist Jataka tales, many of which already accultured into Malay society centuries ago.

In the northeastern state of Kelantan and Terengganu, Menora incorporates much use of Malay language and a Mak Yong-style dance movements. While in the northwestern state of Kedah, it is performed in a mixture of Thai and local dialects, but adheres to the invocation-play in a distinctly north Malaysian style and incorporates some elements of Jikey and Mek Mulung.

The musical ensemble consists of a pair of hand cymbals, a pair of small knobbed gongs, a pair of wooden sticks, a barrel-shaped gendang, a reed instrument and a vase-shaped single headed drum.