Dance and theatre of Laos
The dance and theatre of Laos (nattakam Lao, Lao: ນາດຕະກັມລາວ
Shadow puppetry, although not associated with dance, is an important part of Lao theatrical traditions. Various dance-drama troupes, mostly operating out of Luang Prabang and Vientiane, continue to teach the old classical court dances and more Khmer-influenced dramas and folk dances, respectively.[1]
Classical dance and theatre
The dance-dramas of Laos were originally only performed for the royal court. Having their origins in
The Lao royal dance is called Fone Nang Keo (
Most dance dramas depict scenes from the Lao
Khon (ໂຂນ [kʰǒːn]) is the most stylised of the Lao dance-dramas, with troupes of male and female dancers in elaborate costumes and masks performing very graceful movements demonstrating their great flexibility, and very common dance-drama form for the Phra Lak Phra Ram. Each dancer plays a character in the drama, although most of the narration comes from a singing chorus to the side. Lakhone (ລະຄອນ [lāʔ kʰɔ́ːn]) dances are usually only performed by females, but male lakhone dancers are not unknown. Instead of each dancer portraying an individual character, such as the Khon dance-dramas, the dancers mimic the scene and events together. There is more variety of dance-dramas performed in the Lakhon tradition.[9] The music of Phra Lak Phra Lam is performed by an orchestra known as Pinphat in its original Khmer form. Musicians undergo extensive oral training for several months to ensure they have a precise understanding of each piece, regardless of its length, and the variations it entails. Many musicians are skilled in playing multiple instruments within the ensemble. Currently, there is an aid program aimed at transcribing these pieces to preserve this musical tradition for future generations.[10]
Although lacking in dance, nang taloung or shadow puppets (ໜັງຕະລຸງ [nǎŋ táʔ lúŋ]) are an important part of Lao theatrical traditions. An adaptation of the traditional Malay
Lam lao
Lam Lao (ລຳລາວ) or
The music that accompanies a lam lao performance may also include various types of
Although the performances themselves are not necessarily theatrical, the closest being the exchanges of witty repartées in alternating verses or songs between a male and a female morlam who pretend to fall in love before departing or friends who try to outwit each other. The songs are interspersed with dance numbers, comedic routines, ham acting, and teasing between the performers and the audience.[13]
Folk dance
Lao folk dances (ຟ້ອນລຳພື້ນເມືອງ [fɔ̂ːn lám pʰɯ̂ːn mɯ́əŋ]) are numerous and varied, much like lam lao. In fact, most lam also have an associated folk dance. And Other popular dances include the southern lam Tang Vai (ລຳຕັງຫວາຽ [lám taŋ wǎːj]) and Lam Saravane (ລຳສາຣະວັນ [lám sǎː lā ván]).[14]
The most popular folk dance, however, is the lam vong (ລຳວົງ [lám wóŋ]). It is the national dance of Laos, and versions of it exist throughout the Lao-speaking region and even Cambodia, where it is known as
Lam luang (likay lao)
A truly theatrical derivative of
Common to Lam Luang theatre performances are stock characters common to all stories. These include the hero (ພຣະເອກ [pʰāʔ ʔȅːk]), the heroine (ນາງເອກ [náːŋ ʔȅːk]), king father, queen mother, clown, villain (ຜູ້ຮ້າຽ [pʰȕː hâːj]), and supernatural forces such as gods, demons, spirits, or
References
- ^ a b Laos. (2001). Rubin, D., Pong C. S., Caturvedi, R., et al (ed.) World encyclopedia of contemporary theatre: Asia/Pacific. (Vol. III). New York, NY: Routlegde.
- ^ Ray, N. (2007). Vietnam, cambodia, laos and the greater mekong. Oakland, California: Lonely Planet Publishers.
- ^ a b Phounpadith, Sayasith. "La petite histoire de Nang Kêo" (PDF) (in French).
- ^ "ຟ້ອນນາງແກ້ວ". Moladok ICH (in Lao).
ຟ້ອນນາງແກ້ວ ໄດ້ກໍາເນີດເກີດຂຶ້ນມາໃນສະໄໝເຈົ້າຟ້າງຸ່ມ. ພະອົງໄດ້ນຳເອົາສາສະໜາພຸດ ແລະ ສິລະປະການຟ້ອນລຳຈາກຂະເໝນ ເຂົ້າມາເຜີຍແຜ່ ໃນເມືອງຊຽງດົງ-ຊຽງທອງ. ຟ້ອນນາງແກ້ວ ເປັນການຟ້ອນປະຈໍາພະລາຊະວັງ ເພື່ອຖວາຍເຈົ້າຟ້າງຸ່ມມະຫາຣາຊ ແຫຼ່ງຫຼ້າທໍຣະນີ ແລະ ມະເຫສີແກ້ວເກັງຍາ ເນື່ອງໃນໂອກາດຕ່າງໆ ເຊັ່ນ: ສະຫຼອງງານບຸນສໍາຄັນ, ແຂກຕ່າງປະເທດມາເຂົ້າເຝົ້າ, ເວລາສ້າງວັດວາອາຮາມ ສຳເລັດ. ເມື່ອກ່ອນ ເພີ່ນເອີ້ນການຟ້ອນນີ້ວ່າ "ນາງແກ້ວພົມມະຈາລີ" ຕໍ່ມາ ເຈົ້າຟ້າງຸ່ມ ຈຶ່ງປ່ຽນຊື່ ຂອງການຟ້ອນ ຕາມພຣະນາມ ຂອງມະເຫສີນາງແກ້ວເກັງຍາ ເປັນ "ຟ້ອນນາງແກ້ວ" (ໝາຍເຖິງ ແກ້ວບໍລິສຸດ). ນັບແຕ່ນັ້ນມາ, ການຟ້ອນນາງແກ້ວ ເປັນສິລະປະ ຮີດຄອງປະເພນີ ທີ່ສວຍງາມ ເຊິ່ງຊາວຫຼວງພະບາງ ໄດ້ປົກປັກຮັກສາ ແລະ ສືບທອດຕໍ່ກັນມາ ຮອດປະຈຸບັນ.
- ^ Phannolath, Nalinthone (28 July 2023). "Chapter I: Introduction". Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage at Luang Prabang, Lao PDR (PDF) (Master of Archaeology and Heritage Management thesis).
- ^ "The Ramayana in Southeast Asia: (2) Thailand and Laos". British library.
The Rama story is thought to have been known to the Thais since at least the 13th century. It was adopted from older Khmer sources, hence the similarity to the Khmer title Reamker.
- ^ "Phra Lak Phra Lam, The Localised Ramayana". Asian traditional dance and theatre.
- ^ "How Hanuman became Houliman". Business standard.
It is interesting to note that the Phra Lak Phra Lam states that Ram was born in the Mekong valley. According to Sahai, it draws cultural parallels between the Ganges and Mekong. As per the Laotian version, Ravana was born in Cambodia and the great war was fought on the banks of Mekong.
- ^ Brandon, J. R. (1993). The cambridge guide to asian theatre. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
- ^ "The musicians". Phralak Phralam.
- ^ B., Rachel, Lam, M. B., Cullen, A. et al (2007). World and its peoples: eastern and southern asia. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corp.
- ^ a b B., Rachel, Lam, M. B., Cullen, A. et al (2007).
- ^ a b Brandon, J. R. (1993).
- ^ Lao cultural profile. (2012, July). Retrieved from http://www.diversicare.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Profile_LaoSML.pdf
- ^ Mansfield, S. and Koh, M. (2008). Cultures of the world: laos. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corp.
- ^ Clewley, J. (2001). 'Laos: beyond our khaen.' World music: latin and north america, caribbean, india, asia and pacific. (II ed.) Broughton, S., Duane, O., McConnachie, J. (ed.) New York, NY: Penguin Putnam.