6 sets of performances by students of Musical Arts, RMUTT, disseminating art and culture to the community

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The Royal Dressing of Phra Suphannakanya,” “Miss Siam,” “Elegant Lanna Lady,” “Kornham Khamthong,” “Pillars of Home,” “City Pillars Shrine,” and “Khok Phanom Di.” These six performances are part of the project to disseminate art and culture to the community (assessing the competency and performance in the Creative Dance Choreography course) by third-year students in the Thai Dance Studies program, Department of Dance and Music Arts, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts. Associate Professor Dr. Sommai Pivsa-art presided over the opening ceremony, and Sutthiphon Siwawetphikul, the district chief of Nong Suea, honored the event with his presence. Assistant Professor Dr. Manoch Boonthonglek, the Dean, and faculty members of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts welcomed everyone at the auditorium of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi.

Assistant Professor Dr. Manoch Boonthonglek disclosed that the faculty members and students in the Thai Dance Studies program, Department of Dance and Music Arts, are deeply grateful for the royal graciousness of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who has undertaken countless cultural activities and has been a role model in preserving, continuing, promoting, and extending the cultural heritage of the nation. Therefore, the students presented creative performances to disseminate to interested audiences and to raise awareness among the younger generations about the value and importance of art and culture. This helps create involvement in the preservation of cultural heritage, a unique aspect of our nation, fostering pride, cherishment, and conservation for future generations. “Like a tree that needs to spread its branches and bear fruit continuously, there must be ongoing support to develop works in dance arts,” Dr. Manoch highlighted. “The key factors in creating these works are students and faculty members. This aims to elevate human resources by upskilling, reskilling, and providing new skills. Thus, it is crucial to support and promote students to gain new knowledge from experts and professors through research-based learning, connecting knowledge with research processes. The knowledge derived from study and research is then used to create performances and creative articles. We emphasize project-based learning to ensure students develop practical skills, aligning with the university’s strategic priority of academic service and enhancing art and culture with innovation.”

The project organizer, Miss Piyaporn Pheungsutha, stated that third-year students presented their creative works derived from the study of local wisdom in dance and music. They integrated and enhanced their educational potential to further this wisdom and used the knowledge gained to create performance formats. This supports activities that integrate with teaching, academic services, and cultural preservation. It enables students and lecturers to demonstrate their capabilities and disseminate creative performances as a knowledge source for interested individuals, enhancing performance experiences for students and promoting the reputation of the department, faculty, and university. Thai dance is an art form needing conservation and creativity. Miss Aranya Meehuang, a representative of the “Bathed in Holiness of Lady Suphankanlaya” performance group, explained that the creative traditional Thai dance in this performance reflects the traditional movements of Lady Suphankanlaya’s bathing and dressing according to the classical theatrical customs. The choreography describes the bathing, powdering, and perfuming methods of preparation to leave Ayutthaya to be held as a royal hostage in Hongsawadi. This routine also portrays Thai customs influenced by Indian and other Asian cultures, emphasizing cleanliness and fresh feeling before adorning oneself with jeweled attire appropriate for one’s rank before undertaking important tasks. This serves as an inspiration in creative performance development for future creators, similar to the representatives of the “Pillars of Home, City Pillar” performance group.

Ms. Phattanit Kingrat stated that she aims to develop cultural innovations to promote the values and identity of the local community of Nong Suea District, Pathum Thani Province. This is to be achieved through creative performing arts that embody cultural ways and create local tourism performances. The project, titled “Sao Lak Ban, Sao Lak Mueang,” involves studying the local context, rituals, traditions, lifestyle, and indigenous wisdom related to city pillars to guide the development of local performing arts in Pathum Thani Province. After the creation of these performances, the goal is to encourage community participation and enhance the community’s potential in developing performing arts to sustainably attract tourists to Pathum Thani Province. This performance has been evaluated for its competence and effectiveness by a panel of six experts: Professor Dr. Nara Phong Jaratsri, Research Professor at Chulalongkorn University; Associate Professor Amra Klamcharoen, Expert at Bunditpatanasilpa Institute; Associate Professor Chantana Iamsakul, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Thammasat University; Dr. Chawalit Sutharanon, Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture; Instructor Sanee Limpiyapant, Nakhon Si Thammarat Municipality; and Ms. Asama Pradisnit, Instructor & Choreographer at Variety Dance Company. They have provided valuable suggestions to enhance the quality of students’ work.