He clings to the red fabric and seems to float, as if he possesses invisible wings. All eyes are Rajanikara Kaewdee, robust and flame-haired, as he performs his aerial choreography above the stage for the second season of Thailand's Got Talent.
It was the final round of the hit TV show earlier this month. And in the end, the judges and the SMS votes agreed that his gravity-defying, deadly yet artistically Cirque du Soleil-esque show deserved to be crowned the winner.
"It was unbelievable. I never expected to come this far," said the 28-yearold performer from the northeastern province of Sakhon Nakhon, who, according to the show, originally practiced his mid-air spectacle by dangling from trees.
In 2011, Thailand introduced its own version of the British franchise reality television programme Thailand's Got Talent, where the winner of the first season was a little girl with an angelic voice, Maneepat "Mira" Molly.
Kicking off the second season, the show brewed up controversy when it featured a half-naked, self-proclaimed artist who painted a canvas with her naked breasts. After the hoopla died down, the show continued to introduce talented and eccentric contestants from all over the country.
Rajanikara is among the contestants who showed skill and talent in a programme that prides itself on the motto that equates daring with winning, and raises eyebrows along the way.
A small boy from Isan who came to Bangkok to further his education, Rajanikara's life turned artistic when he began his internship at the country's celebrated contemporary dance studio Patravadi Theatre.
''I was studying in my last year at vocational school, doing marketing, and I had no idea where to go for an internship. I know a friend who did an internship at Patravadi Theatre, so he introduced me. Back then, I had no idea what was really going on there. I had zero knowledge about performing arts,'' said Rajanikara, better known by his nickname Leng.
''After a while, I decided to join performing workshops there to kill time until I left the theatre every evening. Later it became serious.''
Years ago, according to Rajanikara, Patravadi Mejudhon, the founder of Patravadi Theatre, invited an aerial performance instructor to teach her well-known choreographer Manop Meejamrat. This exciting art form inspired Manop to further his training in France, and once he returned to Thailand, he became Rajanikara's first mentor and introduced him to the art of aerial performance.
''Once Manop came back from France, there were about 10 dancers who learned from him. But, in the end, it came down to one, only me, who was still keen to do it,'' he says.
Learning techniques from his instructor, Rajanikara later created his own aerial spectacle. One performance landed him overseas experience when a Canadian circus company invited him to stage his work. Among the audience was a teacher from the National Circus School in Montreal who persuaded him to audition for a class at his institution. Rajanikara nailed an audition in an hour, and was later accepted to study there.
After returning to Thailand, Rajanikara began his career as a freelance performer.
''I have been doing different kinds of performing art, from acrobatics, aerial [work] to stage performance. Thanks to my time in Patravadi Theatre, I have been pushed to learn everything, and in the end, it is definitely rewarding.''
In that hotbed of new talent lives a group of performing artists. Rajanikara slowly developed his fame through his acrobatic skills. Last year, he heard the TV talent show had arrived in Thailand, and he told himself that it was about time he gave it a shot.
''I was invited to perform in Korea when I heard the news about Thailand's Got Talent, so it was too late for me to join the first season,'' he said.
When season two opened for entries, Rajanikara quickly applied. He pulled a daredevil stunt that combined harmoniously with rhythmic movements, climbing up and down a red cloth with dramatic music for his first act on the stage. After that, he became the favourite among viewers.
''Patravadi [his mentor] once told me we will never know what talents we have, until we explore our capabilities. That's why students need to learn different forms of art until they know what they can really do or do best,'' he said.
Adding to the sentimental moment, at the end of his debut performance, he was surprised backstage by his family who had come to see his show.
''It was the first time my mother saw what I was really doing. I never told her exactly what I was doing, as I thought it [would be] rather hard for them to understand.''
Rajanikara based his final show on the ancient folklore Lilit Phra Lor. He garnered his techniques from traditional dance moves, put an acrobatic spin to it, and blew the audience away when he began to swing the cloth and slowly glided through the air. It was a dance without a floor.
As the winner, he walked home with prizes worth about 10 million baht.
''My wish is to be a teacher. My life has come this far because I have many good teachers. With the prizes, I want to open a school where I can teach aerial performing as an artistic performance, as well as a form of exercise,'' he says.
As a member of the underground art scene who somewhat crossed over to the mainstream, the newly crowned talent said his success proves audiences are willing to admire non-commercial art if there are more chances to witness it or more outlets for art forms to connect with the public.
''I never thought I would be given such opportunity from the mass audiences, compared to other contestants. But in the end, people appreciate my work, even though it is quite new for the mainstream. And this gives hope to independent artists out there that they have to be more visible in order to attract more audiences and lift up the art scene to another level,'' he said.
