Photos: Nattapol Meechart
For the culture snobs, Thai and farang, who complain about the lack of “relevant” expression in the kingdom, Pichet Klunchun’s work will give you something to chew on. For fans of technically proficient dance which ranges from classical Thai khon to meta-performance art, his shows are just cool to watch.
This Saturday evening, Thailand’s master dissident of dance will chase the chicken in a one-hour performance before embarking on a tour of the Netherlands.
Tam Kai, which translates as “follow the chicken,” comes from the story Phra Lor in the Ramayana. The narrative is the usual courtly intrigue with supernatural dimensions — something about a princess-chasing prince being led astray by a “magnificent rooster.” As a performance, the dancers have been encouraged to borrow from each other’s physical vocabulary to create something new, all cut with a level of improvisation.
Central to the performance, Pichet said, the dancers will move in response to the musical piece Kraw Nai Tang, as played on alto xylophone.
“Here, the music serves to challenge dancers, demanding their creative responses to the music’s powerful and fast-paced rhythms,” he said. “This is the first time that this piece of music has been used in a dance performance.”
Along with his company of dancers, Pichet uses dance and performance to both critique and celebrate the good and bad at hand in the culture. Reservations are required for Saturday’s show as space is limited. Tickets, THB500 and THB300 for students, can be reserved by calling 080 924 0002.
FIND IT
Chang Theatre
700 Prachauthit Road Soi 61 (scroll down for map)
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