CONCEPTUAL OF CHOREOGRAPHY IN NAH-PAHT SAMER SONG OF SIMIAN

Abstract

The objectives of this research are 1) to study the history and the development of choreographies on Naphat sacred music, more specifically the category of Samer music for the monkey role, 2) to analyze the conception, the creation, the form and the dance movements of the following Naphat dances: Samer, Samer Kham Samut, Wanon Damnoen and Samer Wanon, as taught and learned in the educational institutions under the jurisdiction of the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute and the Fine Arts Department. The researcher conducted the study by collecting information from related academic documents, by studying the choreographies of the Samer music category for the monkey role, by learning the dance movements and by interviewing experienced khon dance masters.

The results showed that Samer Naphat musical pieces are used to accompany the character's journey from one place to another in a near distance. Usually, we can often find a Samer music at the end of Lakhon and Khon scripts, especially for the monkey role, there is always a Naphat music that is used in Khon performances, namely Samer and Samer Kham Samut. Later, there were experts in Thai classical dance to create new Samer Naphat music, which could be used instead of the other existing music, namely 1) Wanon Damnoen 2) Samer Wanon. Those two newly invented Samer Naphat musical pieces are included in the Khon curriculum of the monkey role and are also used in Khon dance performances. The structure of the choreographies in the category of Samer Naphat music for the monkey role can be divided into 3 parts: Mai Deun, Mai La and Rua, which all have their own principles to follow: 1) the beat of the drum is an important principle that dancers must study in order to always dance according to the rhythm of the drum. 2) Dance position is another important principle in the practice of dance. They are linked to the monkey role basic movements (Mae Tha), which are used for the choreographies of the Samer Naphat music for the monkey role. 3) The direction of the movements of the Samer Naphat music for the monkey role are divided between movements that goes forward and those that goes backwards, which are all performed with the head tilted alternatively from the left to the right side for the 4 Samer musical pieces.