Perhaps this is the time for you to shake your body a bit. Joget is Malaysia's most popular traditional dance that indicates the foreign influence in the Malay land. Joget is said to have introduced from Portuguese to Malacca through the trading activities between two countries during the sultanate period.

It is a lively dance with an upbeat tempo which the steps and music are quite similar to cha-cha and is not necessary you need to know all the steps of this dance. When the music is on, the dancers will just gradually raising themselves from a sitting to a kneeling posture, then to their feet and begin a series of figures with their arms, hands and body. All the movements are slow and graceful sometimes accompanied with rollicking good humor. It is always performed by couples.

Due to the lively music and graceful movements, hands clapping and joyous sound from audiences will definitely bring the spirit to a higher realm and it will not be surprise that the audiences are imitating the movement from their seat too. It is generally lively and very entertaining.

The Malay’s traditional life style is always artistic and sophisticated. Tarian or dancing, is another art that can never be separated from the Malay culture. There are a numbers of Malay dances in Terengganu and most of them reflecting the traditional Malay life style and ritual. 

For example the Tarian Balai which is danced by a group of village ladies with the purpose to thwart any disasters that might be faced during the flowering season in the paddy field.

Whereas Mak Yong is a Malay dancing that combines of ritual elements, acting and dancing. Vocal and instrumental music is used together with singings, drama, story telling and music.

This ancient classic court entertainment combines romantic stories, operatic singing and humor.

Was rather a royal dance and is originally played during the sultanate of Riau-Lingga and subsequently was brought to the Malay land by Sultan Ahmad of Pahang state. It was then introduced to Terengganu state when the Tengku Meriam, daughter of Sultan Ahmad married with the prince of Sultan Zainal Abidin II in Terengganu. During that time, this dance was only meant for the royalty in certain occasion. It was said that Tarian Gamelan has altogether 39 different dances of which part of these are created by Tengku Ampuan Meriam herself from the stories of she heard from story tellers.

Eight ladies all in colourful silk costume will be accompanied by some musical instrument such as serunai, gambang, saron, bonang, kenong, gendang ibu and gendang anak to perform the story.

Another worshiping dance in the Malay dances. The dancing always begins with a person who is suffering from illness either when he catches fish, in the paddy field or any other daily activities in the society. The patient will then healed by a bomoh, a traditional Malay doctor in the traditional way. Seven actors beautifully dressed represent the 7 princess who come to visit the patient when the bomoh is treating him. Kemiyan will be burnt together with chanting of pantun and dancing through the whole performance. Although Tarian Ulit Mayang was once a folk ritual ceremonial in the Malay society, with its gentle and graceful movement, it has become one of the beautiful traditional dancing in Terengganu culture.

Some of these dances remain part of the agenda during certain occasion or ceremony, such as in a wedding or in a formal official function during which the complete set of music instrument will be used and the entire story of the dance will be carefully performed. To have a glance of the dances or performances, you can check and pay a visit to Cultural Centre in every Friday and Saturday on April till October (5.00pm-6.30pm and 9.00pm-11.00pm).

Originating from Kampung Kuala Jingai in Hulu Terengganu, this ethnic dance is also known as Tarian Saba.

The dancers perform around the Saba tree to traditional music and the sound created by a bamboo like device called "Kumbang".

This is the ethnic dance of the farming community in Hulu Terengganu, performed to appease the spirit of the padi crop. It is traditionally held after the harvest season to convey thanks for a good harvest and also to seek blessings for a more bountiful harvest in the next planting season.

The dance movements are simple and revolved around a structure called "Balai". The song are sung to the accompaniment of traditional music.

Rodat is a folkdance of Terengganu. The number of performers range from 20 to 26 and are divided into "Pelenggok" (12 male dancers) and "Mak Inang" (4 to 6 female dancers). The basic movement of Rodat are divided into sitting-kneeling, a combination of squatting and standing (performed mainly by male dancers) and standing movements.