Rabam Kinaree Ron Dance, Bunditpatanasilpa Institute Dancers, British Museum, London 22nd Feb 2018

Rabam Kinaree Ron Dance ระบำกินรีร่อน, performed at the Great Court in the British Museum, London, on the 22nd Feb 2018, by Thai classical dancers from the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute สถาบันบัณฑิตพัฒนศิลป์, Bangkok, Thailand.
The Bunditpatanasilpa Institute is a key higher education institution focusing on preserving and promoting Thai cultural arts.
This beautiful dance depicts the graceful and soaring movements of the mythological kinnaree, with the Thai dancers wearing the elaborately decorated kinnaree winged costume.
In Southeast Asian mythology, kinnaree กินรี (sometimes transliterated kinnari) are half-bird, half-woman creatures, one of the many beings that inhabit the mythical Himavanta. Kinnaree have the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail and feet of a swan. They are renowned for their dance, song and poetry, and are a traditional symbol of feminine beauty, grace and accomplishment.
In Thai literature the kinnaree originates from India, but was modified to fit in with Thai culture. The Thai Kinnaree is depicted as a young woman wearing an angel-like costume. The lower part of the body is similar to a bird, and should enable her to fly between the human and the mystical worlds.
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From the event flyer:
"The Flight of the Kinaree and the Sacrifice of Manora
This dance is based on a Thai literary genre called Manora. It is a story of Kinaree (a mythical half-bird, half-human) who is the wife of Prince Suthon, son of King Arthiwongse, ruler of the imaginary city of Punjal. When the King had a very strange dream, the wicked soothsayer interpreted it as a very bad omen that the King's life was in grave danger unless a sacrifice of live animals, including Manora, was performed. Fearing for his own life, the King consented. With her wit, Manora requested that she be given back her wings and tail to perform a farewell dance for the King. After dancing beautifully around the fire, she took off into the sky for her escape where she was immediately surrounded by her delighted sisters. At this point, the exciting and agitated music changes to a slower and calm tempo, signifying the passing of great danger."
The visit by the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute was part of a Thai cultural promotion tour to enhance Thai-UK friendship and relations and to project a good image of Thailand to the international community.
Video Copyright (c) Blutey 2018.