Abstract:
The objectives of this research are (1) to study the background and current status of Ponglang band performance and (2) to develop a concept of Esarn choreography for Ponglang band. The style of the study is qualitative research with the research methods being content analysis, fieldwork data study, interview, non-participant observation and focus group research. The study results reveal that the background of Ponglang band performance can be divided into 3 periods as follows: The 1st period of development (before 1968) : The Ponglang band came into existence in Esarn society around the late 1960s. Before that time, only the basic instruments, namely, phin, khaen, saw, drum and other percussion instruments were used in ensemble for local entertainment. The definite form as seen in the present did not exist yet. During this period there was no accompanying dance yet. The 2nd period of development (before 1968-1975) : There were folk musicians who got together to form Ponglang bands with accompanying dance. The performances were publicized via radio and television, causing the Ponglang band to become more wildly known. The 3rd period of development (1976-1997) : Ponglang bands of educational institutions in Esarn originated and Esarn dance started to be taught in higher education. As regards the current status of Ponglang bands, it is found that the Ponglang bands of the local people have lost their popularity, unlike the Ponglang bands in educational institutions, which have more new modes of performance than in the past and widely held Ponglang band competitions. The concept of Esarn choreography for Ponglang band has a form of life cycle and the scope of the choreographic process is determined by the Esarn social and cultural context under the conditions of Ponglang band performance. The choreography is divided into 3 stages: (1) pre-production stage, (2) production stage, and (3) post-production stage. Each stage consists of principle and practice as follows: The pre-production stage is the stage of designing the dance. The chief element is setting the aim of the performance, which causes the design of Esarn dance in a Ponglang band to be different on each occasion. This stage has 3 processes that are related: (1) researching information to induce inspiration, (2) setting the theme of the performance, and (3) setting the style of the performance. The dance design is also determined by internal and external conditions. The production stage is the stage of carrying out the development to produce the dance according to the design. The main elements are (1) structuring the performance, (2) designing the draft, (3) developing the elements of the performance, (4) rehearsal, (5) public performance. The dance development is also determined by internal and external conditions. The post-production stage is the stage of evaluation and elaboration before restaging the dance. This is the process that takes place after the performance ends. It consists of (1) evaluation by criteria, (2) elaboration, and (3) decision to restage the dance. The evaluation is divided into internal and external evaluation.