Thailand Classical Dance

Tom Williams	Watch a classical Thai dance and you'll be under its spell. The spectacle of movement, mime, music, acrobatics, singing and recitation has the power to take your breath away. The beautiful dancers who perform at dinner-dance venues at major hotels and restaurants are re-enacting ritual dances that have evolved over centuries; dances that usually feature Thai legends and folk tales. Both enlightening and entertaining, Thai classical dances can he classified into four categories. From the central region comes the Ramwong, a festive social dance. The instruments used to keep the rhythm are the tone (two sided drum) and ching (small cup-shaped cymbals). The delicate gestures of the hands evoke aristocracy and dignity.

Fawn is a northern word sharing the same meaning as Ram in Central Thailand. Choreographic synchronization and the slow, graceful movements make this dance subtly alluring. The Fawn Up (Nail Dance) and Fawn Tien (Candle Dance) are perhaps the best known. The Serng dance from Northeastern Thailand is quite lively, particularly since the cadence is quick and short. Serng Bung Fai (Rocket Dance) originated as a rain-invoking ritual during harsh Northeastern droughts. The Khon dance, with its classic theme, is performed by masked dancers who never speak. The story always revolves around the Ramakien epic (the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana) and is told in verse by singers behind the scenes. Khon characters comprise of demons, monkeys, human and celestial beings. Today, only the dancers portraying demon and monkey roles wear masks. Each Khon mask has its own unique features and colors which help to identify specific characters. Normally, the good guys wear the white hats and, in this case, a dancer wearing a white mask, is a Hanuman, a virtuous monkey character.
Likae, a song-and-dance drama, mostly centers around royalty; it was formerly played by men only. In many ways, it's like a loud and colorful one act play. Likae is obsolete in Bangkok, but is still found upcountry; where roaming troupes will come to town to perform on weekends. Light and graceful the Lakhon comprises many dance routines, Themes range from the Krisdapineharn (Dance of the Angels), and Uayporn Onwarn (Welcoming Dance), to newly choreographed presentations such as the Ram Sukhothai and Ram Lopburi both created from dance postures found in ancient stucco murals.