Phraya Kraek’s Bathing And Dressing Dance: The Text And Choreography In The Early Period Of Lakhon Pantang
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Abstract
Background and objective (s): The story of Phraya Kraek is a legend in the Thai Northern Chronicles. Telling stories from the Ayutthaya period, Phra Wichian Pricha (Noi) compiled stories from the Thai Northern Chronicles and HRH Prince Narathip Praphanphong wrote them into plays for Thai dance. In the play Phraya Kraek, there are the Phraya Kraek bathing and dressing dances, which shows a set of important Thai dance steps that are not widely seen. The research for this article studied the text and choreography for Phraya Kraek's bathing and dressing dances and the writings of HRH Prince Narathip Praphanphong.
Methodology: The methodology used was a study of the text for Phraya Kraek's bathing and dressing dance from the writings of HRH Prince Narathip Praphanphong including history from textbooks, documents and related research material. Also, a broadcast of the Phraya Kraek bathing and dressing dances received from Associate Professor Dr. Supachai Chansuwan, a national artist, was reviewed as well as interviews with literary experts, Thai dance experts and Thai music experts. The research tools were interviews, with data collected from textbooks, documents and related research materials and interviews with experts. These sources were analyzed to display the nature of the text and choreography of Lakhon Panthang of HRH Prince Narathip Praphanphong in the first period of production of his work.
Main result: Phraya Kraek's bathing and dressing dances are an episode in the drama "Phraya Kraek" of HRH Prince Narathip Praphanphong, who took stories from the Thai Northern Chronicles and wrote them into plays for Thai dance in 1909. The playwright's initial dramas were categorized as "Lakhon Phongsawadan" due to their storylines drawn from Thai chronicles. However, as the plays incorporated chronicles from other groups of people, such as Chinese and Mon, the designation shifted to "Lakhon Panthang". In this play, there are the Phraya Kraek bathing and dressing dances. The bathing and dressing dance sequences comprise distinct elements: bathing, applying perfume and dressing. The choreography comprises a main, extension, conjunction and the additional dance steps.
Performers wear traditional attire known as "Yuen Khrueang."
Relevance to Thai Studies: This research studied the text and choreography for Phraya Kraek's bathing and dressing dance, a story taken from the Thai Northern Chronicles and transformed into the text of a Thai dance drama. The text shows the essential characteristics of the legend in its performance form. Dance drama is a traditional Thai performance art. Both text and choreography is a literary and dramatic art that has continued in the Thai way until the present.
Conclusion: The choreography for Phraya Kraek's bathing and dressing dances align seamlessly with the text and reflects the nature of "Lakhon Phongsawadan," the initial phase of "Lakhon Panthang," while seamlessly blending elements from various drama styles. However, the emphasis remains on preserving the exquisite characteristics inherent to Thai royal drama.
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