Erawan Shrine Dancers, Bangkok, 1998.

Dancers at the Erawan Shrine (SAN PHRA PHROM ศาลพระพรหม), Bangkok, Thailand, September, 1998.
The shrine is a Hindu shrine that houses a statue of a four-faced Brahma. It was built in 1956, as part of the government-owned Erawan Hotel, to correct bad omens believed to be delaying completion of the hotel caused by laying the foundations on the wrong date.
A popular tourist attraction, it often features performances by resident Thai dance troupes, who are hired by worshippers in return for seeing their prayers at the shrine answered.
On March 21st, 2006, a mentally ill Thai man vandalised the shrine and was killed on the scene by angry Thai bystanders. A replacement Brahma statue was completed a few months later and installed in the shrine on 21 May 2006. [Source: Wikipedia].
Trivia: the dancer in green at the end of the video who kneels down, WAIs ไหว้ (makes a prayer-like gesture) and touches her ear, used to appear in the CNN Asia-logo TV-footage in the late 1990s.
Video Copyright (c) Blutey.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Thailand
• Thai
• ไทย
• Bangkok
• dancers
• girl
• dancer
• dancing
• dance
• Erawan
• Shrine
• SANPHRAPHROM
• ศาลพระพรหม
• classical
• culture
• 1998

[borninparis]

Prices are posted on a pole near the stage. It depens how many dancers, and maybe how long. Very reasonable, under 10$ and up....

[tkcwu]

hello. do u know how to pay thanks to the gods after asking for help?

do u pay the dancers

[changtuber]

Does anyone know a dance teacher in Toronto (Canada) who knows how to put on this type of costume? I study Thai dance (very similar) and I have the male-dancer's costume (similar to these ones), but I can't find anyone to help me. These costumes require an assistant who dresses the dancer, and the folding technique is a bit difficult. THX a million!

[changtuber]

Not all S-East Asian cultures have 'finger-bending' dance (the Lao & Khmer do), and not all Thai school-children learn to dance beyond a few basic movements. Those who go on to dance colleges train like ballet dancers, so their hands retain their flexibility right into old age. I took Thai classical dance training in Bangkok, I was 35 and they put me in with the 18-year olds! My hands were SO stiff compared to theirs, but I found that constant stretching does improve flexibility.

[mustfindfunnies]

not true....

[budgiebudgielover]

I heard that south-eastern asians childern learn how to dance at the age of six, so that they have perfect muscle movement, no wonder how I can't bend my fingers back like that . . .

[budgiebudgielover]

Ha, I know.

[samrach]

love how the girl at the end gives the peace sign