THE CREATIVE OF THAI DRAMATIC ART: PANATHAN DANCE

Abstract

The purpose of the creative traditional dance performance "PANATHAN" is to create a new type of this traditional dance performance by studying the background and operation of the Royal Projects under His Majesty King Rama IX and His Queen which were related to soil, water, and forest, that brought permanent happiness to Thai people. The creation consisted of following elements: 1) Creation of music with the insertion of natural sounds; 2) Selection of 16 male and female performers; 3) Dance postures incorporating body movements that mimic the movement of nature; 4) Local folk costumes that were not specific to any region of Thailand; 5) Bamboo baskets filled with plants and flowers representing the forest; 6) Performance choreography and the allocation of stage areas. The performance was divided into 3 acts: 1) Forest and Water, Creators of All; 2) Without Forest and Water, Come Hardship; 3) Save Forest, Save Water, Follow Our Father's Footsteps.