Thai Khon: How the world of Thai dance opened up to one foreigner

30-year-old Canadian studies classical Thai Khon dance for master's degree. Passion for Thai dance began as exchange student in Sukhothai.

DANCE

Behind the Thai mask

Canadian Benjamin Tardif has been studying the traditional Thai dance of khon for years and plans to share what he has learned with other foreigners
15/08/2014
Pichaya Svasti

Benjamin Tardif studies at the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute.

30-year-old Canadian Benjamin Tardif is studying at Bunditpatanasilpa Institute for a master's degree in the teaching of Thai performing arts. His passion for traditional Thai dance began when, as part of a cultural exchange programme in 2002, he studied at Sukhothai Witthayakhom school in Sukhothai.

As part of his studies in Thailand, Canadian Benjamin Tardif went to Sukhothai Performing Arts College to learn different Thai arts, ranging from playing the wooden xylophone (Ranad Ek) to Thai boxing (Muay Thai), but it was the beauty of the classical Thai Khon dance that struck a chord with him and then eventually he decided to pursue Khon seriously and become a Khon dancer himself.

Khon is often based on tales from the epic Ramakien. In it, there are phra (male protagonists), nang (female protagonists), yak (giants or evil antagonists) and ling (monkey soldier assistants to phra) characters. Tardiff was given the role of a monkey due to his small frame and cheeky personality.

"Many Asian countries, including Myanmar, India, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia, have performances based on the Ramakien, but the costumes and dancing postures vary. Watching Ramakien in Cambodia, for example, you will see monkey characters look so natural, while Thailand's performances focus on beauty and fine, yet monkey-like, dancing postures," Tardif noted.

Benjamin Tardif in full khon costume.

When he was in Sukhothai, Tardif practised more than 100 major dancing postures over a six-month period.

After returning to Canada, Tardif later studied to be a social science and history teacher. Ten years later, in 2012, he returned to Thailand on vacation and visited some of his old classmates in Sukhothai. Upon seeing that two of his friends were still practising khon, he decided to further his studies in Thailand.

Before he was allowed to enter the master's degree programme at Bunditpatanasilpa Institute, however, Tardif had to pass a written test on the history and traditions of Thai performing arts, as well as audition. After a couple of months coaching from his khon instructor Somchai, he was ready for the audition. Tardif decided to perform the Chuichai Hanuman Songkhruang dance and the Na Part Tra Nimitr dance. The judges said that although his dances were not perfect, his strong will and passion were evident and so gave him the green light.

So far, Tardif has been studying at the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute for one-and-a-half years. He spends most of his leisure time taking Khon classes with the institute's undergraduate students on weekdays, free classes at Thammasat University's Khon Club on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and another class with National Artist Prasith Pinkaew at the Kukrit Institute on Sundays.

Sometimes Tardif also struggles with certain Thai words and has to ask the lecturers about the meanings. This eagerness to ask questions, however, enables him to fully understand the feelings and postures of each character.

When Tardif is not studying, he often performs khon at Chalerm Krung Theatre and is usually given the roles of Nilanon and Ongkhot, who are among Phra Ram's monkey soldiers.

"To be a khon dancer, I need to understand Ramakien and the characters I play. I still don't know all of the 18 sibpaet mongkut [key monkey warriors], I just remember the main phraya characters like Hanuman, Sukreep, Nilanon, Chompoophan and Ongkhot," said Tardif.

His lecturer Viroj said that he is curious about what Tardif may do in the future, but is confident that he will do well.  "I reminded him that something like the plerng na part is highly respected by Thai artists and must not be modified. He understands this well, so I think some day he may be able to apply this knowledge to a teaching career of his own or start his own show," he said.

According to the lecturer, Tardif is not the first foreigner to study khon. He remembers a group of students from the US and Swedish singer Jonas Anderson, who sings luk thung, studying khon before Tardif. What sets Tardif apart however, is that they didn't take their studies to the highest level.

After graduation, Tardif plans to remain in Thailand and hopes to become a teaching assistant of khon to foreigners, this is, of course, if he gets the opportunity to do so.

"It is a great honour," said Tardif, "It is unbelievable. I never imagined my life would come to the point where people accept me like they accept fellow Thais — without thinking that a farang cannot do it."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/interview/426855/behind-the-thai-mask

Khon instructor Viroj Yoosawat instructs Benjamin at the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute.

Benjamin being dressed as Hanuman, a monkey warrior in the Ramakien.

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