The land of smiles, Thailand is known for its hospitality, beaches and rich culture like graceful and artistic Thai dancing.

Thailand is knownas the land of smiles. The first thing that you notice when you visit this country is the beautiful and welcoming smiles of people. These smiles make the visual of Thailand very appealing, like their graceful traditional Thai dancers. Thai dancing is varied and is known for its grace. Here is a bit of a brief history of traditional Thai dancing.

History.

Traditional Thai dancing is quite old, but the traditional dance that is practised nowadays developed during the golden period of Ayutthaya during the 12^th Century. It is popularly known as Natasin and is a majestic combination of beautiful and glittering costumes and body movement to the music. The dancing is believed to be inspired by Indian Classical dances. It is clearly evident from the fact that much of the hand gestures are inspired by the classical Indian mudras. The alluring music and elaborate costumes are the highlights of any dance performance.

Kohn.

This traditional form of dancing is one of the highest art forms in the country. It is said that in the past, it was not meant for the general public; only the royal family could witness this graceful dance form. This dance contains stories from “Ramayana” and depicted with elaborate costumes and props.

Li-Khe. 

Li-Khe is one of the most popular dance forms in Thailand. It consists of fun performances that are engaging and entertaining. The performances have elaborate costumes and are full of slapstick humour, and that is perhaps the reason why it is most popular in the Thai countryside.

Ram Wong.

It is also one of the popular dance forms where men and women in pairs dance, forming a circle. It is slow, and its movement is extremely delicate.

Shadow puppetry. 

This type of dance is quite rare nowadays because of intricate puppetry, which is very complex. The puppeteers hide behind the white sheet and narrate a story with music and puppets.

Lakhon Lek.

Lakhon Lek is also a form of puppetry, but it is slightly different from shadow puppetry. In this puppeteer, join the stage with their puppets and bring a story to life.

Lakhon.  

Lakhon is a dance that is predominantly performed by women who narrate the story through their dance, acting and song. The setting and costumes are generally very elaborate and lavish.

So, which dance form you would want to witness on your next trip to Thailand?