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Li-ke Song Khrueang
is a type of folk dance drama
of the central region which originated around 1907,
in the reign of King Rama V, when Phraya Phetchara-prani
staged the first Li-ke Song Khrueang performance at
a theatre (called “Wik”) near Pom Phrakan on the bank
of Klong Ong Ang, opposite Ratchanaddaram temple.
The performers of Li-ke Song Khrueang have to sing,
dance, act and deliver the dialogue themselves.
The performance is accompanied by the Pi Phat
ensemble. The performers wear a flashy imitation
of princely costume and insignia. The hero character
wears a Panchuret Yot - a tall, pointed headdress,
a shirt of gold and silk brocade, with Yok cloth
wrapped over the trousers, two strings of Sangwan
(jeweled sashes that crisscross the chest), epaulets,
a cloth sash over the shoulder,bows of ribbons
on both shoulders, and white socks. The heroine
character wears a Thai-style crown headdress,
embroidered short-sleeved blouse, jeweled sashes,
a piece of breast cloth, bows of ribbons on both
shoulders, white socks and a brocaded skirt which is
pleated at the front.
The principal dances in the show comprise
Ram Ok Tua, the movement expressing the character’s
t ravel or journey to the accompaniment of
Phleng Choet and Phleng Samoe tunes; Ram Na Tiang,
a performance of dancing and singing in the classical
Thai style, which depicts or narrates the story or
introduces to the audience the character that the
performer is portraying; Ram Khau Phra Khau Nang or
courtship dance - a duet dance by the hero and the
heroine characters, which requires great dancing skill
as the performers have to sing and dance together
in collaborative partnership; and Ram Krabuan Mai
Rop or war dance, which requires great skill in the
handling of weapons such as swords, kris, lances,
truncheons. The performers have to be trained in the use
and handling of the weapons required by their role.
This type of dance is truly one of the gems in the
Li-ke Song Khrueang.
Li-ke Song Khrueang
In addition to the dancing skill, the performers
must also have a good singing voice and diction.
They must be well-versed in the story to be depicted
and able to remain true to the role and the characters
that they are portraying. In short, the Li-ke performers
must be versatile and possess well-rounded skills in
order to deliver a punchy, effective performance that
mesmerizes the audience who will become their fans.
Popular Li-ke performers are called Kwanchai Maeyok
(the heartthrobs of the lady fans).
Later developments in the Li-ke form can be traced
back to the Li-ke Song Khrueang, whose dance
patterns, classical Thai-style singing, and presentation
style serve as the framework and model. The most
striking example is the Rani-kloeng song that was
created by Master Dokdin Suea-sa-nga. It has become
identified with Li-ke.
Today the rule of L i - ke Song Khrueang
performance is fading with the time because the
practices in dance pattern, singing and improvising
the verses in the old ways are no longer popular.
For survival, Li-ke troupes have to adapt their
presentation style to the changing taste of the
audience -- for example, they adopt even more
glitzy, flashy costume today because the spectators
prefer it to the hard-to-find, old-style costume.
The dwindling number of artists today who can
perform Li-ke Song Khrueang means that the genre is
becoming a rarity.