Dragon dance story and music
About this recording
- Creator
- Kristin Post
- Date created
- October 3, 2000
- Duration
- 6:30
- Location
- Trang, Thailand
- File
- MP3
- License
- This recording copyright ©2000. Terms of use
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On the streets of Trang one night, people gathered to watch a dragon dance. This involved a few men, a beautiful dragon costume that fit over their heads so only their legs were showing, and several poles spaced apart on the blacktop. These men are more like puppeteers than dancers, manipulating the dragon costume so that it takes on its own life. The music accompaniment adds to the drama. The most exciting part is when they jump from pole to pole, landing, and balancing, doing this all in sync to the music and with each other beneath the costume.
In this clip, you can hear the sound effects and narrative that accompanied the dragon dance. The music and language indicate the influence of China. This story was told at the start of the show, and is probably explaining the emergence and importance of the dragon. At the beginning and a few times throughout, you can hear the roar of the dragon. The entire presentation is more technical and electronic than later in the show, which is just the percussion and the dancers as you hear toward the end of the clip.
