Abstract:
This research, THE ROLE OF COURTSHIP DANCE IN RAMAKIENS KHON PERFORMANCE, is purposed to study the history of courtship dance in Ramakien khon and the Fine Arts Departments factors of the role of courtship dance in Ramakiens knon from 3 performance episodes : 1) Phra Ram courts Sida ; presented in the act of Khons Sida firewalk and quenching of holocaust on doomsday 2) Thosaganth courts Monto; shown in the act of Khons Mandodari cooking of sprinkling holy water and 3) Palee courts Dhepdara ; displayed in the act of Khons Palee of brother-teaching. The research methodology was first to run on literature reviews-texts, Khon scripts and performance programs-, second to conduct into the field study by performance observation, actor interviews and transmitted trains, and last to work on data analysis and paper reporting. The study reveals that the role of courtship dance in Khon performance was transmitted by the Royal Entertainment Department obviously evidenced by the Fine Arts Departments the first Khon performance of 2 sets in 1935. Nowadays, in 2013, the Fine Arts Departments the role of courtship dance in Ramakiens Khon performances are continuously displayed into 17 sets. A courtship dance presents love offering and male and female caring, that were transmitted through literature and dancing art divided into 4 steps : 1) Blason 2) Teasing 3) Wheedling and 4) Lovemaking ; from these the wheedling is the most important to perform the courtship. And, a process of dances is performed by songs that they were imitated by the actions of men who are in love, and that finally performed by melodies of Nha Phat Lom song and Tra Nhon one that convey the meaning of Lovemaking. Finally, the styles of the role of courtship dance in those 3-espisod Khon performance can be danced both of sitting and standing ;however, for Phra Ram and Thosaganth are in only sitting.