CONCEPTS AND CREATIVE PROCESSES OF THE NORA PERFORMANCE: NORA WORLD HERITAGE UNDER THE CHAKRI DYNASTY’S GLORY

Abstract

The creative Nora performance Nora Moradok Lok Chakri Si Phaendin aims to honor and commemorate the gracious benevolence of three Thai monarchs: Chulalongkorn, Bhumibol Adulyadej, and Maha Vajiralongkorn. At the same time, the work seeks to preserve, transmit, and develop Nora, a traditional performing art of southern Thailand. The thematic focus reflects significant transitions in Thai history and national development through symbolic communication embedded in Nora performance, which has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The creative process was rooted in the traditional Nora repertoire of the Khun Upatham Naragon (Phum Theva) lineage. The work employed the concept of symbolic dance as a conceptual framework to convey meanings related to historical values, loyalty, and reverence through newly composed choreography, music, and vocal performance. The results of the creative process demonstrate a Nora performance that harmoniously integrates tradition with innovation. The performance introduces newly developed symbolic dance movements, including the Descriptive Gesture, which uses expressive movements accompanying the traditional Raetare recitation to convey narrative meanings, and the Governance Gesture, which symbolically represents royal duties in national development. These choreographic elements constitute distinctive features of the performance. The creative work highlights the potential of Nora as an artistic language capable of communicating contemporary social and cultural narratives. Furthermore, it generates new knowledge regarding the integration of traditional Nora performance with symbolic communication, which can be further developed in education, creative performance practice, and the dissemination of Thai cultural heritage at both national and international levels.