ABSTRACT
There are many terms used for ‘dance’ in Thailand. The connections are rooted in body-based forms of transmitted knowledge. The importance of the transmitted corporeal knowledge figures both into the array of practical modes of bodily training that teachers use to convey dance knowledge to their students and in the regular rituals that students perform to honor their teachers. Students perform Wai Kru ceremony with their teachers and peers to begin, continue, and perform the dance they learn from their teachers, who include those who are still living, those who have passed away, and spiritual ancestors of the tradition. Folk dance form in Lanna (northern Thailand) and Isan (northeastern Thailand), accompanied by drum, hand cymbals, and gong and folk music instruments. A highly popular ensemble folk dance drama style performed by itinerant troupes on temporary stages mostly in Central Thailand. Male and female performers wear elaborate costumes with glittering sequins, synthetic brocades, plumed headdresses, and heavy makeup.
