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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SI No TITLES AND AUTIIORS

01. Tb€ Construction of a Jazz Drumming lrstructioral Package fo; ThaiUndergraduates

Y Rungkiat Siriwongsuv an

Teaching strd Leartring Trombotre Activitics itr Rrjabhat Utrivcrsities

b Thassanai Phensit

Teaching atrd Leartring Violitr h Rajabhat Universities

Y YutakornsSarikkaganon

The Form ofKhon Performed Costumcs itr The FiDe Arts Department

, b Orawatana Niamauthai

The Developmetrt ofSuatr Sunandha Datrce and Theatre

b Somsak Buarod

Thai Percussiotr; The Importart Musical lnstrumetrt For Thai Music Studetrts

b PrasanBribtranangkul

'KHIM' Performance For Thai Music Students io Rajabhrt Universities

) Sansanee Jasuwan

Thai Singing For Thai Music StudeDts Development h Rajabbst Utriversities

D Pansak Vandee

Classic Guitarr Important Basic L€ssons For Guitar Students

D Kajohnthumthong

Piano: lmportant Instrrment in Teaching alld L€arniog in Rajabhat Uoiversities lnBaugkok

) Sirima Panapinun

Docs Relatiotral Capital Protect Organizations From a Crisis? - Atr Attempt atEmpirical Verificatiotr of The Tbesis

b Anna lllalecfui, Aneta Zelek

Page No.

1-7

n)

03.

04.

8-10

11-12

05. Ram ok-Parsa Relating to Approaches ofChaopraya Mahitrtarasakthamrorg (Peog l&25Beryakul) Dance Theatre Troupe

) Supavadee Potiwetchakul

13-17

47 -53

3G38

39,41

06.

07.

26-31

32-35

08.

09.

t0.

I l.

42-44

45-46

t2.

***

i

RAM OK-PARSA RXLATING TO APPROACHES OF CHAOPRAYAMAHINTARASAKTHAMRONG (PENG BENYAKUL) DANCE

THEATRE TROUPE

SUPAVADEE POTIWETCHAKUL

Performance Depanmm! Suan Sunnardha Rajabhat Univenitv, Bangkok ThailandE-mail address: supavadee_com@hotmail.com

Abstract - This research airns to studyorigii, components, sequenc€s ofperfonnance and approaches to Ram Ok-Parsa(dancesuggesting foreip chamcters) of Chaopraya MahiDtarasakthamrong (Peng Benyakun) Dance Theatre Troupe. This danceapproach has bcen passed onto arlists m the Fins Arts Departrnent during King Rama D( reign since 2,195 BC until present.

Three foreign characlers in Rajrtiraj ar€ Burmese, Mon and Chinese Qualitative research methods w€re employed consistingofdocumentary research, In-depth interview, parljcipation observation and practice wi$ senior artists. The research foundthat, during the King Rama IV and the King V reign{2391-2137 BC), Chaopraya Mahintarasakhamrong (Peng Benyakul),govemment olicer and owrer of fa.rnous danco troup€, brougit oew drmcnsion to Thai dance, i.e., reaiistic costrune,building large theatre, inFoducing ticket system, and composing drama which combiDed with vanous chronicle resulting invarious nations characlers. Therefore, the new way 10 dance called Chaopraya Mahin's approach" or "Ram Ok-parsa" wasinEoduced which divided into 2 patt€ms: t) for Burmese and Mon character, they generally perform similar to Royal Thaidance excepl bodv movement method by controlling upper body balancing weight having 4 t)?es which are: I l) tilling body"Yoe Tao" and "Tee-lai" continuously: 1.2) dldng body "Yoe Tao" and "Tee-lai" to the side and stop for 1-2 second. thenswitching to the opposite side continuously: 1.3) tilting one-side of shoulder forward and opposite side backward"Kra-Tai-Lai"; 1.4) begin with dlting body "Yo€ l ao" with "Tee-lai" and finish wilh "X-ra-Tai Lai". 2) for Chinese character,lhe movement of ha.nds- fee! and body are used similar to Clunese opera in Thailand. Chaopraya Mahintarasakthamrong'sdanc€ approach has been carried on and developed lo be protot]?es ofRaJn Ok-Parsa suggestirg other nalions' dances.

lnder Terms - Ram Ok-Parsa Chaopraya Maiintarasaklhamrong (Peng Benyakul) Dance TheaFe Troupe

I. INTRODUCTION

Since the foundation of Thai kingdom in Sukhothaiperiod, Thai dance has gadually evolved in both theroyal and local goups. They have imitated andsupported each other unceasingly untilThai dance hasbecome one of strong occupatioDs that can practjcallygenente income for theatrical entrepreneurs andartists. Especially, dudng the reign of King Rama lVand King Rama V, many notrle peopl€ set up their owndarr,-^'. Searrc roup,es io pcilinn lbt lr,)fessionalpurpose and collected ticket {be from autiiences.Arirong ell ol thern, ChiirprayaMahintarasakhamrong (Peng Benyakul)'s dancetheatre troupe, which was wideiy called "ChaoprayaMahin's troupe" was considered one of the mostfimous and successful troupes in that period. Histroupe initiated severaltheatrical developments lor thefiIst time in the history of Thai classical drama.particuiarly dance movement tbr foreign characters,which was called "Chaopraya Mahin's approach' or"Ram Ok-Parsa". This approach has been passed ontothe artists ofthe Fine Arts Department since 1952 andalso been developed to use in Thai theatricalperformances of the Fine Arts Department untilpresent day.

II. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1. To study the origin, components, and sequencesof Chaopraya Mahiflarasaktharnrong (Peng

Benyakun)' Lakom Nok and Ram Ok-Parsa

2. To study Ram Ok-Parsa approach initiated byChaopraya Malrintara-sakthamrong (Peng

Benyakun) s dance theare troupe.

III. RESULT OF THE STUDY

Considering the theatical dance development ofChaopraya Mahintarasakhamrong (Peng Benyakun),there are several factors conributing the success ofhisdance thcarrc irolle. which includc tlie lcllclling.

'L lhJiiand is a muiticuiturai society in $hichdiverse races and ethnic groups live together,especially in Bangkok and sr.mounding areaswhere people of diverse ethnicities and cultureshave lived togetho since before the reign ofKingRama I ofRattanakosin. This might had an effecton the cultural changes in the reign of King RamaIV and V, which included many aspects ofmusical and theatrical development. As thepeople of various nationalities ljved together inBangkok during that period. it could be inferredthat their cultures wcre transferred andtransmitted until they could create new t)?es oftheatrical performances. In addition. they tendedto gradually build up their financial abilities untilthey could afford more comfortable lifestyie andentertainmenL

2. During the reign of King Rama I to King Rama IVin the early Rattanakosin poiod. the kings placedan importance on developing friendly relation

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t8

iRam ok'Parsa Relaling to Approaches ofChaopra!a MahrrL.rrekLhamlong IPeng Benyakulr Dance Th€aire Troupe

A Pleng Sam Niang Parsa rvas one of the key factoraffecting the developmcnt ofLakorn Nok into LakomOk-Parsa of Chaopnya Mahintarasakthamrong (Peng

Benyakun) during the reign of King Rarna IV and V.the distinct rhlthm and melodies. inspiring drumsounds, joyful singing, ard entenaining performa.rceofPleng Sam Niang Parsa tended to greatly contributeto the success of Chaoprala Mahintarasakthamrong'stheatrical darce deveiopment at that period.

;lrng)und{ul),

Lg in

fhaiody:hen

tard)ter,1g's

by:ng

). ln the early Rattanakosin Era, many people ofvarious nationalities came to receive royalprotection in Thailand. They had unique arts and

cultures to show and exchangc with each other interms of theatrical performance. Chinese, Lao.Mon. Burmese. and Westem people seemcd to be

veiy close to Thais and rvere likell to play an

ifiportant role in Thai thealrjcal developmenl.Chaopraya Mahintarasakthamrong (PengBenyakun) was a person who lived through threekings (1821-11394). He was bom in the reign ofKing Rama lll, started serving ,!s a govemmentoflicial in the reign ofKing Rama IV, and died inrhe rc'gn ofKing Ram" V. Hc lvds the progcnilo'ofthe "Benyakul" family namc as specified in no.629 ofthe 8th annormcement ofroyally bestowedf'amily names. which was announced on

December 19th. l9l3 or 19 years after he passed

away (Thep Sundarasardula, 1998: 95). Hisbiographical details are as follows.

ofn).ris

es

1g

ct

ch

as

with western countries. Therefore, many canalsand roads were built and used as a mean tomotivate foreigners to do business and settle inThailand and enable'Ihai people to commute andravel in a more comfortable way.

3. 'l'he evolution ofThai theatrical dance in the earlyRattanakosin Era (King Rama l-King Rama IV)lvas al its peak du.ing the reign of King Rama ILThe style of theafical darce in that period hasbcen preserved and adhered to by the latergenerations a\ the model lor entcnainingperformance and presened as the national .

cultural heritage. During the reign of King RamaIV. there was a formal announcement in 1855(Year ofthe rabbit) stating that the members ofthe royal family as well as the senior and juniorgovernment officiaJs were allowed to set up theiro\r.n male and female theatre dance tloupe. Thisannouncement caused a relative change in thetradition ofThai theaffical dance as male dancersusualbi peribrming theat cal dances were almostentircly replaced by female dancers. Particularly.in that period there were a lot of significanroccasions giving the theatre dance troupes theopportunities to show off their abilities in royalceremonies. private events, celebrations.corn m cm orar ion:. i,ri_J qeleome panies lorforeign guests. Thai theatrical dance has eversince been used as an mtertaining activitv tocreate a magnilicent atnosphere in ceremonialevents.

4. Pleng Sam Niang Parsa relbrs to songs withspecific rhlthm and sounds suggesting thenationality of foreign character such as Chincse,Indian, and Cambodian. Pleng Sam Niang Parsacan be divided into 2 groups according to types ofsong title.

4.1 Pleng Sam Niang Parsa Bjth nationai:ty ri9les:Thai music teachers composed this group ofscngs by

initatir'g fo'eigi siyirs arrd tiierr irsiiig the io.ejgrinationalities to name the title of the song. Forexamples:- Chinese style: Chin Kim Lek. Chin Na Rue, ChinNan Sadej, and Chin Luang- Mon style: Mon Chom Jal. Mon Yadley. Mon PokPa, and Mon Ta It- Burmcse st-vle: Burma Klang, Burma Yai, BurnaLek, Burma Ago, and Burma Saya

4.2 Pleng Sam Niang Parsa without nationalitytitles: The titles of these songs do not suggest anyforeign nationality. lhis group of songs are mostlyPleng Sa,rr Chan, which cotrld be expanded fomPleng Song Chan, rearrarged rvith original melodies,or newly composed. such as Pleng Kam Suan Surang(from Chinese song), Pleng Sud Sa-Nguan (1iom Monsong), Pleng Som Song Saeng and Pieng San KamNueng (Loa song). and others (Working group on ThaiMusic Thesis Project.2007t 5'7).

Figure I Chaopraya Mahintarastkthamrong(Peng Benyakutr)

Source: Chulada Phakdipbrmin, 1992: 2s1

Chaopraya Mahintarasakthamrong previously namedWanpeng or Wa,rpen before he was briefly- called

"Peng" because he was born on the t5th day olthe 6thwa\ing moon (Wednesday, May l6th, 1821). Hepassed away on Wednesday, January 2nd. 1894(ll.RH. Prince Sommot Amarabhandhu and H.R.H.Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, I999: 8.1) when he was

73 years old. His father was Luarg Chinda Phijit(Duang). who had b€en a royal page of H.R.H. PrinceMongkut since the end ofthe reign of King Rama ll.Lle u,as adopled by Prince Mongliut who rvas still a

monk at that time. Later- he was bestowed the title of"Chao Muen Sanphet Phakdee" (Hua Meun Mahadlek

1a

0flein:d

Ld

rfd

iid

d

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tRan ok Parsa Relating 1o Approqches ofCbnopraya Mahntarasakthamrong (Peng Benyakul) Dance Theatr€ Troupe

i

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Tonchuek) and became the trusted chamberlain uhenPrince Mongkut left the monklood and ascended the.throne as King Rama IV ofRattanakosin Kingdom.

In 1857, Chao Muen Sanphet Phakdee (Peng

Benyakul) was appointed as a diplomat with theresponsibility to handle royal tribute and build a good

relationship with Queen Victoria of the UnitedKingdom at Windsor Castle.

Upon his return, he was elevated to be PhrayaBurutrattaia Rajapanlop in command of all iegiments.He remained in this post until the end of King RamaIV period. He was given an opportunity to closelyserve fie king beside his bed. He conveyed the royalcommand to the ministers and high-ranked ollicialsfor a total of36 days since the king was ill on Auqist26th untii passed away on Octob€r lst, 1868 (M.R.Nangnoi Sakdisri. 2006: 153).

Later, in the reign of King Chr.rlalongkom (Rama V)he was bestowed the title of Praya RajasuphawadeeSrlsajjathepnarai Samuhan anayath ibad i

Sri-Surentaramesuan. the director of militaryrecruiting department. Apart from his duties inmilitar-v recruiting department, he also took care ofother significant tasks. Therefore. in 1874 he was

elevated to be Chaopraya Mahintarasakthamrong.

From the biography of ChaoprayaMahintarasaktharnrong (Peng Benyakun). it could be

seen that he was one of the key men in Thaigovernmental history. He was the confidant of KingRama IV and also trusted by King Rama V. Hisreadiness in terms of occupational stability,omniscience, and working experiences both inside andoutside the country was considered ar important factorin developing Thai dance theatre troupes to meet theresi; i'i_r olr; n,'biiit) ai lnaL perro'i

Cila,rprala ivialiirrta asaktliarlroiig pia,ve,i a ke.v roie -

in Thai theatrical developmenl New phenomena intheatrical circles which were resulted from hiscontribution were as fbllows.

1. Lakorn Nok and Lakom Nai were perlbrmed bythe dance theatrc troupes during King Rama IVera.

2. European-styled theatre was built in Thailand forthe first time. He initially named it "Siarnese

Theatre" and staged a performance only forofficial foreign visitors. Later, the theatre wasrenarned to "Prince Theatre" when his daughter,the noble consort (Chao Chom Manda) Morakotof King Rama V. gave birth to His RoyalHighness Prince Benbadhanabongse (Krom MeunPichai Mahintarodom), in 1882. His theatre was alarge building located at Tha Tien. The location ofth;s theafe was shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Cbaopraya Dlah;ntarrsakthamrong's Theatre(poiDted by arrow) located oeri to Tha Tien Palace ofKromiuuer Pichai illshintarodom, Photo tal(en frolll wat Arun

Rrlcb.Mr$rn. ThotrburiSou rce: FiDe A rls DepartDent, 2 005: 1 84

Its interior was beautifully decorated and equippedwith stage props and sets. The theatre's na.rne wassholvn on the doors ofthe set. The belo$ figure clearlysho\4ed that the theatre was renamed.

2Figores: Itrt€rior decoratiotr of'Si.b€se Tbeatre" (l)

reDanirg to "Prirce Tbeslre' (2)

Sou.ce: Sakkaritr Suboon.2006: l7

However, the theatre was widely called "Chao KhunMlLhin's Theatre" because at that time Thai peopleprelerred calling a theatre b) the olr'ner's name.

Ticket system was initiated. In the ceremony tocelebrate the l00th anniversary ofBangkok he had histroupe perlbrm at Sanam Luang and startcd charginglee tom audiences for the first time. After that

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iRam ok-Pars! Relaling lo Approach€s ofChaoprr!a MahrnGrasrkdrrmr8n. lteng Bcn)alLrlr Drnce Th€alie Troupc

)ed

rrly

hun)ple

performance. ticket s) stem bccame widely imitated

ard implemeilted by other dance theatre troupes.

4. The word "Wik" refen'ing to the theafe began lo be

used. lt was derived from English word "Week".5. There lv€re dance movements that specificallydemonstrate different nationalities of lbreigncharaclers which was called "Ram Ok-Parsa". Ihiskind of movements was initiated by Chaopraya

Mahintarasakthamron8's dance theafe toupe. H.R.tl.Prince Danrong Rajanubhab stated tbat "The royal

dance was moditied and developed into Chaopraya

Mahin's approach, which rvas became popular and

widely lollowed." (H.R.H. Prince Darnrong

R.j:rnubhab. 200J: 178).

Cbaracteristics and performing approach ofLakorr Ok-Parsa

l. Origin ofLakorn Ok-ParsaChaopraya Mahintarasakhamrong's dance theatre

troupe ha4 continuously performed since the reign ofKing Rama lV and staned performing both LakomNok and Lakom Nai in the large theatre during thcreigr of Klng Rama V (H.R.H. Prince Da,nlrong

Itajanubhab, 2003: 378). l,ater, the lbreign chroniclcswere used to l\.rjte the plays for Lakom Nok. Some ofthem had only Thai charactcrs such as Krai Tongwhile the oiher oncs contained lbreign characters wilhvarious nationalities including Chincse. Mon, l"ao.and Burmsc. A iirmbinrtion ol menl .rnisticdisciplines consisting songs, music. oostumes, and

dance movements was consequently formed to createrealistic perlbrmance and present the nationaiit] oflorcign character. lhe .ong< 3nd musiu \ugte:'linglbreign characten uere selected to use- Tle costumes

and dance movements were designed according to thenatjonality of each chamcter. The pcrformingapproach of Lakom Ok-Parsa was still based onLakorn i.io1, s approach- Iricwever, the srories lvilhonly l hai characieis v/ere perforned ecccrding !o theroyai styic.

2, Components ofLakorn Ok-Parsa2.1 Performers: H.R.H. Prince Damrong Rajanr-rbhab

(1922i l6) stated in the Regulations and Legends ofLakom Len Thawai Tua at wang Woradit thalChaopraya Mahintarasakhanrrong's plays weremainly performed by female arlists. It was found thathis thearrical artists who moved to be the teachers inother troupes were all rvomen such as Kru Pao. KruPliar- and Krrr Krue who moved to Chao Khrm PhraPralurawonse's h-oupe as well as Kru Sa-Ngiem whomoved to Chao lntawarorol Suriyawong's troupe at

Ching Mai.2.2 Plays: It was commonly accepred that his dancelheare troupe had a greater number ofnewly-composed plays than other troupcs becausethere were two generations ofplaywrights within histroupe. The lirst generation consisted ofWan and Tim,the preachers specialized in poetry uriting. They

$role the play scripts for Dalang and Khun Chang

KhLrn P[aen, As for the second generation, l(iunChobpolrak (Tim Sukayang), rvho rvas later elevated

to Luang Patanapongpakdee. was the main plaryright.ln that period, many foreig chJonicles were used locreale the plqls lor theatrical perlormance such as

Rachathirad, Kiun Chang Khun Phaen (the episode of'

Phlai Phet Phiai Bua), Tanghan. Three Kingdoms,

Ngoto, Sui Tang, and Buan Huai Lao.

The main chamcteristics of ChaopralaMahintarasakhamrong's plays wcre l'ast-paced story

'and inserlions ofcomedic lines based on Lakom Nok'sapproach. In addition. his plays werc not divided into

severai acts/scenes. conf'orming to the style of plays

\\Tittcn belore the reign of King Rama V.

2.3 ilIusic and Songs: Piphal Mai Nuam ensemble

was dsed in Chaopraya Mahintarasal<thamrong'sdancc tnearre troupe lherc \\ere t\ o I)pe\ of mu5ic

including Pleng Rong (music with lyrics) and Pleng

Na Pat that \!as consistent \\ith the story and emotions

of the characters. Once the dancc movements. songs.

and music suggesting foreign characters were used in a

play, the instruments representing foreigl nationalitiescalled "Krueang Parsa" {ould be added inlo the

perlormance as well.

2.4 Costumes and Stag€ Props: Chaopraya

Nlahintarasakhamrong's dance thealre troupe

designed the costume differently according topositjon. status, and title of each character. For

example, those who played thc role ofking. prince and

princess would bc dressed in royal clothcs. lhose whoplayed the role ofchiefofliciai would be dressed withloincloth, shirt, forehead omament or headband.

u,hereas those who played the role of commoncr and

maid servant would be dressed wilh pleated cloth or

loincloth, shawi ard lbrehead omament. Consideringlbreign cnalacr.:rs, ri'ey u'ouiri be riresrei atri:orriins ro

rheir etmicill. r' spc. ifiJJ in lh- ,tot .

2.5 Performing Places:Chaopraya Mahintarasakthamrong's dalce theatre

troupe could pert-orm either in the theatre charging

ticket fee or on outdoor stages.

3. Performing ApproachChaopraya lvlahintarasakthamrong's dance theatre

troupe used the componcnts of Lakom Nok. whichincluded running the story with singing script,nan'ating the situation in the play. narating the

l'eelings and emotions of the characters. not dividingthe play into acts/scenes. not describing the sct, no

diaiogues but inserting the conversation in the play

script in order lo make the characters understand the-ruD..lrd mo'tlr us.ns Plenr' \a Pat ir 'one poinLs.

Considering the dance movements, Thai royal dance

was adapted to lbrm a new slyie of dance called

Chaopraya Mahinlarasakthamrong s approaoh This

tohisingthat

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Ram ok'Parsa Relaljng to App.oaches ofChaopraya Matunlarasak$smrong (PenB Benyakul) Dance Theate Troupe

new dance combined the following dance movemegtstogether.

- Exquisite Thai classical dance gestures

- Simple dance gestures ofthe commoners or natualmovements- Dance gestues thal \rere adapted fom the royaldance to pres€nt the nationality ofeach chamcter- Dance movements that imitated lbreign dance styles

Passing on Chaopraya Mahiotarasakthamrong'sapproach to the Fine Arts D€partment

The ending of Chaopra.v-a Mahintamsaklhamrong'sdance theatre troupe came when he died in 1894. Aflerthat. his theatrical approach was imitated by nlanyother dance theatre troupes. H.R.H. Prince DarhrongRajanubhab (2003: 379) stated that:

"After Chaopraya Nlahintarasaklhamrong died. mostofthe artists in his troupe moved to work lor his son orChao Muen Wai Worarat (But) in Butmahin's dancetheatre foupe. -lhis

troupe had a chance to perform inEuropean countries. When Butmahin's dance theatrefoupe came to an end. his approach had been inheritedto Khunying Luenrit's troupc called Lakom Pasom

Samakkee until ir quined performing."

Apart from But Mahin's troupe and KhunyingLuenrit's troupe, lhe artists in ChaoprayaMahintarasakharnrong's troupe also moved to be thedance teochcr* in Chao Khun Phra Pra)rira\nongsc s

troupe. The main dance reacher of Chao Klun PhraPra),rlrawongse's troupc was Kru Ilue or ChaoprayaMahintarasakthamrong's wife.

Chao K'iun Phra haylrawongse's troupe was a largedance theatre troupe that trained and produccd man,u''

si<iiiei featrical adists. Fcur oi aher.r were tire Carceteachqr: al the Fine Ans Depal't-ncnt thar had anil{iuc,ice oti plescivi,-,g ChauprayaMahintarasalcthamrong's approach, including KruPhan Morakul, Kru Sa-Ad Saengsarvang, KruCharoenchit Pattarasewi. and KJu YorsaengPt*ditewa.

Due to the creativity of ChaoprayaMahintarasakharnroog' troupe, which was founded inthe reign ofKing Rama IV and became popular duringthe period of King Rama V. several theatricalinnovations emerged in Thai theahical circles duringRattanakosin Era including theatrical building,costumes, musical inshuments, and especially a newkind ofdance. Apart liom the traditional royal dancecarried on since the reign of King Rarna ll. this newkind of dance called "Chaopraya Mahin's approach"was innovated and consequently developed intovarious fbrms of Ram Ok-Parsa by the Fine AnsDepartment.

Ram Ok-Parsa relating to approaches ofCbaopraya Mahintarasakthamrotg's troupe

Ram Ok-Parsa relating to approaches of Chaopraya

_ Mahintarasaktharnrong's troupe was passed on to lheartist in the Fine Ans Departmenl for the first time in1952 throug} Lakom Nok named "Rajatiraj" (the

episorJe of Saming PhJa Ram) that consisted of threeforeign characters: Burmese, Mon. and Chinese. Ram

Ok-Parsa can be divided into the following t$opailems.

L Burmese and MoD characters: This pauem aregenerally perlbrmed similar to Thai royal dance style.However, some movements are adjusled to representBurmes( cnd Mon based on 80:20 proportion.

l.l 80% of the Burmese and Nlon movemenls wcre

based on Thai ro.".'al dance slvle. which inoluded theuse of body part. interpretive gestures. t'eelingexpressions, interpretive dance, hand gestures,

courtship dance. lalce dance, lance holding, and

specific postures ibr weapon dances such as Kom Sam

Bai. Flong Song Kor. Nak Kiew. Plok Chang- andChing Klong as shown in the figures below.

Poini;ng t!-lere" CourtlniD lanca

*.,FHI

E

"Tir Plol clrdr rts' 'Tha ilunts sorrg Kur'Figure 5 Thd werpon daocc

Considering proper body aiignment and correct Thairoyal dance postures. tbe gestures ofhead. arms. body.iegs. and leet must be conectly combined to create aperfect posiure. Parts of the body must be smoothlymoved liom one point to the other point in order tolorm consistent dance gestures. Thai dance teachersused this method to desigl the darce movements for

Figure,l Thai royal daree stties

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i:--"-.'- I -. -- -T1]M

I

IRam ok-Parsa Relatins ro Approaches ofChaopraya Mah'ntara$kthamrbng (Peng Benyakul) Dance l heatre Troup€

YA

hein

he

LM

Lre

le.

int

Burmese and Mon characters, cunently called Ram

Ok-Parsa Burma and Ram Ok-Parsa Mon.

1.2 20yo of lhe Burmese and Mon movements wereslightly adjusted trom Thai dance style according toChaopraya Mahintarasaklharnrong s approach. Thed€tails are as follows.

- Aitemalely transfer the body weight aom one foot tothe other foot in standing or sining posture andaltemately move the upper part ofthe body ftom one

side to the other side at the same time. This gesture.

kno*n as -Yoe Tua'. cao be made in both standingand sifting postures as sho\\'n in the figure belorv.

According to the study of Ram Ok-Parsa Burma and

Mon bas€d on Chaopraya Mahintamsakhanrong'sapproach, it rvas found that Thai royal dance styie was

mainly used in Ram Ok-Parsa including bodymovements, interpretive dances. and weapon dances.

All ofthese are the tradition ofThai dance. *'hich has

been inherited since the early Rattanakosin period.The movements diff'erent liom Thai dance styleinclude Yo€ Tua. Tee Lai. Kra Tai Lai. which can be

variousl) performed as follows.

'1) Yoe Tua and Tee Lai continuously. A slow or quickshuddcr ma;- be added according to the rhlthm.2) Yoe -fua

and Tee Lai to the side and shudder. Stopfor l-2 second and shudder. Then switch to theopposite side and repcal e\eryrhine again.3) Kra fai Lai continuonsly by transfening the bodlrveighi to one leg, The Kra Tai Lai back and forthconsistently with either slow and fast speed.

4) Yoe Tua and 1'ee Lai and finish with Kra Tai Lai.5) Transferring the body weight to one leg and Kra TaiLai continuously in a variety of speed. For example.start with normal speed, continue with fast speed. andfinish with lorv speed.

As for the differences between Burmese and Moncharacters, it is found that their dance movements are

similar. llowever. the audiences can distinguish theirdifferences in costumes, songs. conversations, anddance power.

2. Chiuese characters: This panem imitates thegestures and movements ofChinese Teochew opera inThailand. The details are as follows.

2.1 Hands: Make a hand gesture simjlar to Chineseopera style but raise up the.,\rist and firmly press thethumb, ring finger. and pinky finger together.

:re

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nd

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Figure 6 "Nang Yoe" novenents

Figrre 7 "Yuetr Yoe" movemerts

- Continuously make a shoulder movement similar tothe synbol @, which also knowl as "horizontal

eight" among Thai theatrical dancers. This gesture is

calied "Tee Lai" and usually used together withYrx Tua as shown in Figure 8.

t-]>

Figure A Yor Tu! and Te L!i mo!emenrs

- Ivlove the upper body parts sllrting liom head towaist to one side. Then move the shoulder back andfbrth altemately according to rhe rh),thm. This gestureis called l.ra Tai Lai as illustrared in Figure 9.

''.-.'

Figure 9 Kra Tli Lri movem€nt!

- Make a walking posture similar to Thai dance but rillthe head according to tle stepping loot as shown inFigure I0.

Figure I I H,nd gesture of Chinese .h, racters2.2 Feet: To make a foot lifting posrure, lift up onefoot and point the lower part ol that leg slantingly tothe oth€r leg. To make a foot resting posture. inwardl,v-place the forefoot onto the Uoor.

,- !r. ,l'-1.:. .i t,:'i{ .nR^ ".1R."'' i h- .:,)

tally.

"arlyto

:rsior Figure l2 Fe€t g6ture ofChitrese charrcters

(1. Fool liftitrg 2. Foot r€sting)Figure 10 Burm€se and Mon wrlkitrg

Ploceedings of69d ISEIu) Inremarronal Conference, prague, Czech Repubiic. 21,-22"J February 20 t7. ISBN: 978-9j-86083 34 0

2)

iRam ok-Parsa R€lating to Approaches ofChaopraya Mabintarasakdamrong (Peng Benyakul) Dance Theate Troupe

2.3 Standing aod Sittiog: According to ChaoprayaMahintarasakhamrong's approach, the movements,ofChinese characters needs to be different tom Burmeseand Mon movements so an imitation ofChinese operastyle is applied as tbllows.

Standing on two feet, Standing witi one foot raised,Standing with one knee bent and one heel placed thefloor

imitated by many other groups including Butmahin'sdance theatre troupe and Khunying Luenrit's troupe.

The theatrical artists of ChaoprayaMahintarasaldhamrong's troupe also moved to be thedance teachers in Chao Khun Phra Pra)'lrawongse's

. houpe. Hence, his theatrical approach has been

continuously inherited and developed into vaiuableperformance ofthe Fine Arts Department until present

day

IV. DISCUSSIONS

The oeativity of Chaopraya Mahintarasal*lhamrong'sdance thealre troupe, which was founded since thereigr of King Rama lV and became popular in KingRama V period, is clearly visible in applying variouskinds of anistic dances and poformances to creale a

new dance approach. This new approach is associatedwith foreign characters and consists ofnewly inventedcomponents in terms of plays, costumes, musicalinstruments, and performing places. Apart liom thetraditional royal dance passed on since the reign ofKing Rama II, a new kind ofdance called "ChaoprayaMahin's approach" or "Ram Ok-Parsa" was initiatedto suggest the nationality of each foreign characto-This approach has contributed to the development ofmany new theatrical dance performances.

The theatrical performance of ChaoprayaMahintarasakthamrong's dance theatre troupe wasconsidered a contempora.y dance performarce thatsubsequently opened the door to the world of limitlessperformances. It is found that after that period manynew theatrical dance approaches has been developedby the Fine Arts Department and dance educationalinstitutions, enabling Thai dance to remain a key partof Thai national arts even though the society is

Scndng on tlo tea $andrlg S..andhg \Ii& one trEe bcnt

and one her I pla(ed on tlE fidotFigrre l3 St!trding postur.s of Chines€ charrcters I

standingwith one foot on the back

Standing with ooe foot mov€d outward

- REFERENCE

Sroding.n rh€ lEcls vr,tn o.€ t6r movcd ostward

Figure l.l St .dirg postu1e3 ofC}in$e chfrcters

":;

Figr.e l5 We.pon dalce(Sinine on one b.€l with tbe orher hel Dlsced o! tb€ front)

The theafical development relevant to Lakom Nokand Ram Ok-Parsa of ChaoprayaMahintarasakthamrong (Peng Benyakul) enabled Thaiftearical drama to become popular and widelycommercialized. After the ending of ChaoprayaMahintarasakhamrong's dance theatre foupe camewhen he died in 1894, his theatrical approach was

Chulada Phakdiphumin (1992) Lo Wans Volum€ l.Bangkok: Chokchai ThewetWorkinS G.oup on Thai MDsr€ Thesis Projecl, Founi-yednud€nis, the 22nd Class (2007)Foreign Sounds in Thai Music. Bachelor of Fine Ans.Division of Thai Music, Deparhent of Mlsic. Facuh_! ofFin€ ard Applied Ans. chulalonSkorn UniversitrDamrons Rajanubhab, H.R.H Prince. (1922). Regularionsand Legends ofLakorn L€nThawai Tua ar Wans woradil 2nd Edihon Phm Nakhorn:Phi phanhanalorn P.intine Office.

_.(2003) Lakom Fawn Ran. Banskoki ManchonPublishins HouseTheD Sun.laraerdula (1998). 6412 Royauy BeslowedIamill, Names. EangkoklDuangka€wNangnoi Sakdisn. M-R. (2006). Phm Aphrnao Njwet the

trl

12l

trl

t4l

t5l

t6l

I7)

tEltel

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ll2l 6th.2012 from http.//www.bloggans com

ll3l Sakkarin Subooi (2009) A study of royal herary worksr€lared 1o Thai t'aditonal

Proceedings ot69dISERD IntemariomlConference, Plague.Czech Republic,2l'-22 FebruaD,2017,ISBN 978-93"86083'34-0

24'

"-1!---, -j--:]=,€F1-r 'j"--1-:-*.:.:::T:T!-..4"1lr:TryMkl

Rsm ok-Parsa Rclating !o ApFooch€s ofchaoprnya MahinrarasaMamiong (Pcng Benyakul) Dance Theat€ Troupe

in'stpe.

ayathere's9en

ble€nt

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Parhum Palace Bangkok: Suan SunandlD Rajabhat

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tl6l Monekut of Srrm. Bangkok Srlpakorn Udv€rsrtyPublishing. Published to C€lcbrale 200tI Binh&yAmivcrsary ofKing Mongkul oll Octobs I 8rh, 2004

ll?l Sommot Amarabbandhu. H.R.H. Princc. AndH.R.H. Princ€

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ll8l Appointing Chao Phlayi in Ratlanakosin Kingdon 4lhEditior B3ngkob SilaFbannakam.

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Rattanakosin Pcriod B. E. 23 25 -2477.

[20] Ban*ok:_ Chulatongkom Univcrsity Pr$s.

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Proceedings of69d ISER-D Intenurioml conferdc€, Prague, Czcch Republic, 2lr-22d February 20l7,ISBN: 9?8-93-860E3-14{

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