Dance Movement Manner and Postures in the Role of Female Characters: Boonnak Tantranon’s Wisdom on Thai Classical Dance

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study the female characters’ dance techniques of Boonnak Tantranon in terms of movement manner and postures. For this study, the performances of Mekkhala-Ramasun, Dorrasa Baela and Manora Buchayan are selected. The findings are that Boonnak Tantranon is one of the dance artists whose skill of female character-oriented dance movement are excellent. She possesses the dance style and manner of Nang Kasat (royal or noble female character). As Boonnak was trained by several court-dance masters, especially Thanpuying Paew Sanithwongseni and Jamriang Putpradab, her dance movement manner and postures were to a great extent influenced by these two great masters in Thai dance, and later developed to her own identity. The study of the three performances finds that Boonnak’s
prominent characteristics of dance style are: 1) the elegant and suave movement in the traditional style of noble female character deriving from the perfection of dance movement as well as the accurate and harmonious use of all parts of body in dancing; 2) the accentuating of rhythm and beat with parts of body which helps dance postures clearer and more powerful, and enables the postures to communicate their meanings; 3) the use of facial and gesture expression to communicate the characters’ feelings. These help her performances of Thai dance highly impressive.