Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Dance is poised to create artists and academics to conserve, create, and research

The Performing arts are a powerful form of communication that cultivates human potential. Chulalongkorn University’s “Performing Arts” curriculum, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, focuses on creating graduates who will be both artists and academics, further developing the innovation of performing arts, adding value for the creative economy, and enhancing the value of soft power, leading to various career paths in the modern world.

ow the old tradition can survive in the modern world is a challenging question for various branches of art and culture, especially the “Performing Arts” such as graceful and beautiful dances, exquisite costumes, or Khon (Thai masked dance) performances, various dramas, etc. Many students may wonder what careers they will have if they study this art or what opportunities they can avail themselves of in today’s digital age. 

            To Professor Emeritus Dr. Surapone Virulrak, a former President the Royal Society of Thailand  and a master of Thai dance, now an expert lecturer at the Department of Dance, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, “dance” can exist in every era because it is something deeply ingrained in human DNA. “Dance is a science that permeates every dimension of life, from the instinctive expression of humans in the Stone Age to the branding of universities in the digital age. It will become even more meaningful in the modern world where soft power plays an important role in creating creative economic value and fulfilling human spiritual value.”

Since its establishment, Chulalongkorn University has always emphasized performing arts as a process and tool to promote learning, communication, and develop students’ potential. Every year, students from various faculties create performances that are widely known in society, such as drama productions from the faculties of Architecture, Arts, Communication Arts, etc. More importantly, the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts has opened the Department of Dance, which currently focuses on cultivating graduates to be both ‘artists’ and ‘academics’ at the same time, excelling in both practice and academics, which is the foundation for further developing performing arts in creative dance innovations for society.

“The future of dance graduates is not limited to performing on stage, but will expand to being entrepreneurs in the creative industry. Graduates can work in a variety of fields, from actors, dance teachers, choreographers, to makeup artists, hairdressers, costume designers, event organizers, or even cultural consultants,” said Professor Emeritus Dr. Surapone about the life and career opportunities of dance graduates.

Drama is the ultimate form of communication art.

Professor Dr. Surapone explained that several words describe all types of performing arts. However, the most official word “drama” or “dramatic arts” encompasses all forms of performance, from storytelling, children’s plays, dancing, to performing various roles in everyday life, such as being an MC or a model, etc. 

“Like politicians who have to appear in public, and need to ‘perform’ their roles. There has to be a process, a script. That is the broadest definition of drama.”

This means that from the perspective of drama, as the saying goes, “All the world’s a stage.”

“We are all ‘actors’ performing some role,” said Professor Dr. Surapone. “Performance has always been a part of us humans because humans have the potential to imitate, make-believe, and use their imagination. Imagine a Stone Age man who went hunting and came back. In the evening, he sat around a campfire and told his friends about what animals he encountered, how big they were, how fierce they were, and how they fought. He had to make gestures to accompany them. This was the beginning of communication through performance.”

From simple gestures used to tell experiences, it developed into more complex communication. There was crying to express sadness and laughing to express happiness. These gestures became a universal body language. When humans began to have written language, literature, and music, these elements merged to become “drama” with clearer forms and rules. This created a unique performing art form for each culture around the world, from Thai dance drama, Western ballet, to Chinese opera.

“Therefore, dance is not simply a form of art for entertainment, but is one of the most important forms of human communication evolution. It is a tool for recording stories, conveying emotions, and reflecting the values of society in each era.”

Drama around the Chula campus 

Dramatic performance is not limited to the Dance Department, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, but is a discipline that has been embedded in almost every faculty of the university since the university was founded.

“Chulalongkorn University does not view performing arts as only a major subject of any faculty, but rather as an important tool to develop students to be ready in all dimensions, including communication skills, understanding of roles and responsibilities, and the ability to work with others.”

Professor Dr. Surapone gave an example of performing arts around Chulalongkorn University staged by various faculties, such as the Faculty of Architecture’s ‘Lakorn Thapat’, which has its roots in Professor Sivawong Kunchorn Na Ayutthaya, who was descended from Wang Ban Mo, the owner of a large drama troupe in the past.

The Faculty of Arts teaches literature and drama, such as Shakespeare, so they must feature drama to enhance their learning and comprehension of such texts.

The Faculty of Law has a “mock-up court” where students have to act out the roles of a judge, lawyer, or defendant.

The Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy has a “Black Box” theatre where students can practice simulating business situations in various roles, from managers to employees. The Faculty of Communication Arts has a major in acting and communication that uses drama as a tool to campaign for various issues.

The Faculty of Medicine also offers teaching related to medical role-playing to practice simulating communication with patients and relatives in real situations.

Chulalongkorn University’s Performing Arts graduates excel in practice and academics.

Chulalongkorn University’s Dance program emphasizes the philosophy of developing people.

“It is our wish to create both ‘artists’ and ‘academics’ in one person. Our graduates don’t just know how to dance or perform; they must also understand the origins, understand the philosophy, and be able to create new things,” said Professor Dr. Surapone.

The development of expert artists (practitioners) and deep scholars (thinkers) derives from the graduation examination process, which can be called the ‘hardest test’ that all students must pass. It consists of 3 main parts:

1. Conservation (Classic Performance) This is a test of the continuation of cultural heritage in the field of Thai and Western dance. Students must be able to dance solo in important roles in high-class dance dramas. It’s not just about dancing beautifully, but also about demonstrating their expertise in high-class art. Students must be able to portray important characters in literature, such as Inao, Busaba, Phra Ram for Thai dance major, and Western dance students must perform a role from world class ballet such as Swan Lake, Paquita, or Coppélia, according to a vision, perfectly. Both dance moves, emotions, and understanding of the role.

2. Creative Performance Students must be able to design and create a new performance by themselves, under the constraints of a limited budget and time.

“This is the stage where students will be able to unleash their potential as ‘creators.” They must invent, design, and direct a new performance by themselves, from concept, dance moves, background music to scenes and costumes, under challenging assignments and constraints, to prove their management skills and uncompromising creativity.

3. Research (Academic Paper) Students are required to write a thesis to explain the concepts, principles, and academic knowledge behind the performances of the two sets above. This is the part that reinforces the identity of an artist-academic who creates works as an artist and is full of knowledge in an academic manner.

“After the completion of both sets of performances (classic + creative), students must go on stage again in the role of “academics” to examine the thesis explaining the concepts, theories, and academic principles behind their works. They must answer questions from the panel of judges to show that the creative work they have done is based on solid knowledge,” Professor Dr. Surapone enumerated.

“We teach them to be knowledgeable people who can academically explain their work, can build on it, and create new knowledge for the industry. This is the heart and philosophy of our graduate production.”

Fusing Differences into Beauty: Thai and Western Dance

Professor Dr. Surapone said that the Department of Dance, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, has a curriculum of Thai Dance and Western Dance. Thai Dance emphasizes the depth of high-class Thai performing arts, including Khon, Lakhon, and various dances. Teaching will delve into history, folklore, and philosophical beauty.

Western dance covers everything from classical ballet to contemporary dance and jazz. Students must pass an equally rigorous examination process, including individual examinations based on international standards and the creation of their own work.

“The principles of both types of performing arts are the same, but the tools and language used are different. Instead of taking an exam on a dance from Inao, you might opt for a solo dance from Swan Lake. Instead of doing a creative dance drama, you might do a Contemporary Dance with a profound concept. But in the end, everyone must write a paper explaining their work.”

The coexistence of different performing arts creates a learning atmosphere that opens up the worldview and inspires students, leading to creative cross-cultural works that students have presented, such as the thesis on “Phra Lo” by an Indonesian master’s degree student, which was performed in the style of Javanese performance.

Opening up a variety of career paths

In the past, many people thought that those who studied dance could only find work as entertainers, but that is no longer the case in the world today.

“The careers of our graduates are more diverse than you think,” Professor Dr. Surapone told us, with a gentle smile on his face. “Because the skills they learn are so comprehensive, from offering their labor by washing dishes, setting up scenes and sets, arranging flowers, to being that of a diva on stage.”

“We don’t produce graduates who only opt to remain in their comfort zones. We produce people who can work, solve problems while understanding each and every creative process.”

Professor Dr. Surapone has observed that the skills that dance students and graduates have can lead to an infinite variety of careers, such as in the entertainment industry and various creative industries, such as professional makeup artists and hair stylists for dramatic performances, who are able to earn a lot of money.  

Entrepreneurs and Designers. Many graduates apply what they have learned in terms of costume design and art elements to further develop their clothing and accessory brands, or even to become event and wedding organizers. 

Teachers and Academics With a solid foundation in both practice and theory, they can become teachers in various institutions or further their studies to become lecturers and researchers in universities.

Many creative industry personnel work behind the scenes in organizer companies, production companies, or work in backstage areas that require the ability to manage and solve immediate problems.

Professor Dr. Surapone added that the department is currently adjusting its curriculum to provide students with knowledge and understanding of AI so that they can use technology to create works, whether it be scene design, animation, or storyboarding. These skills and knowledge will greatly increase career opportunities for graduates of the performing arts in the future.

Thai Dance: the Essence of a Powerful Form of Soft Power

Might we consider dancing or performing Khon on stage to be a form of Soft Power? The answer given by the professor is “not always.”

“Society seems to have a misunderstanding about this. Soft Power means persuading people’s minds without them knowing. For our leaders to simply wrap an ethnic style cloth around their necks and say that this is promoting Soft Power, that is something all too superficial.”

Professor Dr. Surapone cites as an example of a powerful form of Soft Power that Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya did with Thai fabric.

“She didn’t just show the fabric, but she delved down to develop it from the beginning, working on the colors, patterns, and making it contemporary so that people would want to wear it in real life. 

Or like when Ajahn Chah taught Dhamma to Westerners until it became an international forest temple, that is Soft Power that comes from creating deep and admirable value.”

“Soft Power through dance is the same. It’s not just about performing Khon, and then it’s over. But there must be an explanation of the story behind it. Make the audience understand and appreciate the value and difficulty of training, such as the fact that it takes 12 years to become the demonic Thotsakan character. These stories are what truly create an impression and gentle power.”

The Professor is confident that graduates from the Department of Dance, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, will be among those who understand the essence of the value of dance, can create a gentle form of powerful power, and are ready to “perform” their roles on the world stage, albeit gracefully and sustainably.

Those who are interested in finding more about Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Dance, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, or to learn more about the various activities organized by this Department can follow them on their Facebook page or by accessing the https://www.facebook.com/dancechula website.  

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