To the sound of beating drums, a long dragon figure floats by swiftly under the guidance of a dancing crew. They move in a swirl of red and gold. Behind them, a woman watches over the proceedings, both protectively and anxiously as the 32m-long dragon is lifted high in the sky.
"As a woman, I didn't really encounter any problems in working with men," said Kunyarat Kiangkairat. "We're like brothers and sister. But during work hours, they still have to listen to me even though I may be younger."
The Mongkornyok Sampran, or the Jade Dragon of Sampran, is one of the oldest lion and dragon dance troupes in Thailand. Based in Nakhon Pathom, the troupe has been around for almost a century, and is under the care and watchful eyes of Kunyarat, the third generation in her family to carry on the traditional celebratory dance.
Boisterous and splashed in gold and red, the crew perform at weddings and auspicious occasions. They are fully booked during big events like this week's Chinese New Year.
"I'm proud that we're still able to hold on to this tradition. I have my father to thank for leaving this legacy for us," said Kunyarat, 30.
The dragon and lion dances are said to bring luck and auspiciousness to an occasion. In a country with a strong presence of Chinese immigrants like Thailand, the dance is a usual sight for most people. Their popularity is still maintained over time, though the dance may be losing its appeal to the younger generations who are not interested in old traditions.
Not intending to throw away the legacy passed down by her late father, Kunyarat — as the eldest child of the family — now manages the team. The Mongkornyok Sampran troupe began when Kunyarat's grandfather, a Chinese immigrant reached Thai shores. Settling in Sampran, he made a living with lion dances. The business grew and became the Jade Dragon crew, after its humble start more than 90 years ago.
Kunyarat used to work in Bangkok as a designer and a visual merchandiser. However, when her father passed away, she decided to return home and carry on the family's business with her mother and her two younger brothers.
In a male-dominated Chinese society, having a young woman rising up to lead a crew of men is unheard of. The transition was not easy either, said Kunyarat. At the beginning, most people were unsure of her ability to take care of the team and carry on the business.
What she did to prove herself to hesitant team members was get in direct contact with clients — old and new. She was able to find jobs for the crew and even came up with some new dance routines. Occasionally, she would also perform with the team, though this would depend on the client's request. Due to her knowledge in textiles and clothing patterns, she also redesigned the costumes for crew members. The team build their own dragon from steel, wood coils, nylon string and fabric. Though it could take a month to create, it is still a good way to save money as one dragon can cost up to 100,000 baht.
"I proved myself to them with my actions, not words," added the ex-designer. "In the end, they listened to me and became more accepting of me.
Kunyarat Kiangkairat with her dragon dance crew.
"My father taught me to have patience, teamwork and uphold good morale. I always apply that to my work. It makes me able to take care of the team."
Normally, a dragon dance consists of 17-19 performers. For a lion dance, it takes only two people per lion. In a big performance like the dragon dance, around 30 members are needed to dance, play the drums, light the firecrackers and help out with the team. Everyone wears the team's uniform: white trousers and red shirts. Their backs are emblazoned with gold lettering of the words "Jade Dragon".
To Kunyarat, the crew are like her extended family. Some of them have also worked for her late father. Kindness, she said, is the way to the crew's heart. And she never hesitates when any of them ask for help.
"We call her Jie, like jie-jie, which means older sister in Chinese. And we call her mother Mom, as well. We're like a family," said Nutinun Langsanam, 19, a vocational student who joined the team at his friend's invitation three years ago.
Kunyarat's determination to care for the crew means she doesn't allow any of them to engage in risky business. Instead, her younger brother is the one being lifted onto the pole, 7m above the ground, as he waves a sceptre and a gold flag in a mock fight with the dragon.
"We really can't be responsible for the life of someone's son," said Kunyarat. "My brothers and I usually do the risky bits ourselves. We know ourselves better. We can never be certain that the others are up for it. They could just say yes to us because we are their boss."
Continuing an age-old legacy is a difficult task, especially in an era of modernism. With each passing generation, old traditions slowly slip away. Hence, one of Kunyarat's tasks lies with continuing to improve the show and making sure they are not forgotten. She is of the view that adaptation is one of the keys to survive in a business like this.
To find a place for traditionalism in a sea of modernism, Kunyarat had lion dancers perform to South Korean megahit Gangnam Style. The show was able to retain the authenticity of the lion dance, while adjusting itself to a global trend. It also received good responses from the crowds.
"We can't keep doing the same routine over and over. People see that all the time. So, I have to figure out how to make them want to see this show and introduce new things.
"I won't allow this crew, the Jade Dragon of Sampran, to end in my generation," vowed Kunyarat. "I'll take care of it and pass it on to the next generation. With that said, though, I'm not expecting or pressuring the next generation to continue this legacy. I'm just hoping that it won't end here while I'm still around."
The traditional Chinese dragon dance is slowly fading in modern culture.
