Creative Dance: Marnvika

Abstract

The purpose of this creative dance was to create a performance set entitled "Marnvika," which means “woman” in Pali. The woman here was reinterpreted by the creators to refer to a wife. The information derived from the Three Seals Law, rules for the characteristics of husband and wife from textbooks, and academic documents were gathered to create this performance. According to the study, it was found that Thai society in the past had the value of having multiple wives, which also represented economic, social, and political status. There was a law served to guarantee its legitimacy that appeared in the legislation pertaining to husband and wife, enacted during the Ayutthaya period, known as "Phra Aiyakarn Laksana Phuamia." Three types of wives were mentioned: 1) Mia Klang Mueang, meaning a woman whose parents made her a man's wife or the first wife, 2) Mia Klang Nok, meaning a concubine or a mistress, and 3) Mia Klang Tasi, meaning a slave wife. The creative performance "Marnvika" was divided into 3 parts. The first part, "Darunee," presented women through their way of life. The second part, "Prempatipat," displayed lovemaking between the husband and all three types of wives. The final part, “Ruean Phirom,” demonstrated the class, status, and living conditions of the three types of wives in the house. The performance movements were developed and adapted from the fundamental postures of Thai classical dance, while the underlying Thai dance identity was preserved. Early Ayutthaya women's clothing served as the model for the performance outfits. This creative dance, “Marnvika,” would also be a performance that was educationally useful since it depicted the relationships in the family unit, customs, and the context of Ayutthaya society.