Principles of movement in Thai dance performances

Abstract

Good movement on stage is the heart of any shows.The foundation of good movement will create and design good stage performances as well. In traditional Thai dance, students must start practicing these movements with ‘slow-and-fast tempo’ which is considered the basis of Thai dancing, first deriving from Ayutthaya period until the present day. The author aimed to study and review this concept and compare Thai dancing movement with the Western concept. Also, this paper has analyzed the principles of body movement of the male characters in traditional Thai dance. The study finding showed that the male characters of traditional Thai dance are destined towards 3 directions related to body parts, space and movement. The posture of the dance in each rhythm can be simple, complicated and fast. The posture of the legs and feet is not bound to the posture of the arms which can lead to the body balance during the dance. This knowledge and practice will help prepare students for the performance, in both body muscles and mentality.