A photo of Mong

Resolution much better than the video!

http://carousingwithgazelles.org/FangPictures/images/MongDancing05_jpg.jpg

[Bob]

Thanks, Henry. I always get a kick out of watching and photographing the various ethnic
and cultural festivities in the Chiangmai area and have noticed that the peacock costumes
and dances seem to be part of every festival, khantoke performance, etc. Here are some
shots I took of various "peacocks" during a few Loy Krathong parades in Chiangmai over
the years:
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306745852_5LzeK-M.jpg
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306745875_rVrfx-M.jpg
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306745902_99H86-M.jpg
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306745936_n5XJs-M.jpg
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306745958_z5rD5-M.jpg
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306745991_MnroF-M.jpg
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306746009_tJRFa-M.jpg
http://tcbob.smugmug.com/photos/306746031_44XLu-M.jpg

[pronto]

Thanks to both of you for posting these. I agree, Bob. The richness of the ethnic and cultural activities in the Chiang Mai area are a big part of the allure of the North.

Is the peacock dance always performed by male dancers (since the peacock is male), or is the selection of photographs skewed to only the male ones due to obvious bias by the photographer? :cheese:

[Bob]

You know, I don't really know - although I can tell you I've never seen a lady doing the peacock
dance thing in the Chiangmai area. I've taken photos of everybody in the parades and just reviewed
a lot of them and don't see a single female (or obvious female) in the bunch.
Of course, there's no doubt that a significant percentage of the peacock dancers in the parade
are effeminate, gay, katoey, or whatever (I'm not putting them down by that comment but one
generally doesn't see macho men doing the routine, at least in the various parades and other
events I've attended).

[PeterUK]

Reminds me of a cartoon I once saw. A peacock is strutting his stuff in front of two bored-looking peahens. One of the peahens is saying, 'Okay, cut the crap and show us your willy.'

Is the peacock dance always performed by male dancers (since the peacock is male), or is the selection of photographs skewed to only the male ones due to obvious bias by the photographer? :cheese:

if it's performed by a female dancer then would it be called a peacunt? :drunken: :drunken:

The performances I saw in Fang were two (2). One by a definite male, and one by a definite female.

I thought I posted the male performance in Fang, but whoops! it's gone. So I'll try again.

I don't think I'll post the "peahen" version. The main problem is that her dancing legs are constricted by her tight skirt.

ttfn,

henri

gone wit da wind babe

[Smiles]

Take it down pleeeeease. I could hardly find the REPLY button so far did I have to scroll over.
I think The Man may have something to say about 'bandwidth overuse' ... or something like that.

Cheers ...

So, that's peacock costume.

I called it kite costume.

If I was to be perfectly honest, I've never quite managed to grasp the concept of dressing up in funny clothes and moving in a strange rythmic fashion in the name of entertainment. I fully accept that a lot of people get a great deal of joy from either doing this or watching it, and most countries seem to have their own traditions in the way they do it (Rio Carnival, Chinese New Year, err...Morris Dancing?) so I'm sure it must just be me, but I don't find it particularly entertaining myself.

It just doesn't seem to do anything for me, which is a shame because seeing how others get so much joy from it, I wonder if they know something I don't? What am I missing? Am I really just an old grumpy git?

If I was to be perfectly honest, I've never quite managed to grasp the concept of dressing up in funny clothes and moving in a strange rythmic fashion in the name of entertainment. I fully accept that a lot of people get a great deal of joy from either doing this or watching it, and most countries seem to have their own traditions in the way they do it (Rio Carnival, Chinese New Year, err...Morris Dancing?) so I'm sure it must just be me, but I don't find it particularly entertaining myself.

It just doesn't seem to do anything for me, which is a shame because seeing how others get so much joy from it, I wonder if they know something I don't? What am I missing? Am I really just an old grumpy git?

Maybe! But that's up to you! Do you like any form of dancing?

What am I missing? Am I really just an old grumpy git? You may very well ask that MM, but as to whether I think you are, I couldn't possibly comment. :tongue:

I have seen many carnivals and festive parades in different parts of the world over the years, including the Rio one and though they were all, how can I say, kinda ok, they didn't exactly leave me with a feeling of euphoria. That is until one year during the period of my life that I was living in the States, I attended a Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

I can tell you MM, without a word of a lie, that the experience gained by me from that little gathering in New Orleans, was totally different from all the others put together. The people, the costumes, as well as the many different dazzling colours that were filling the night, were each and everyone of them, absolutely and incredibly fucking amazing. However it would be fair to tell you, that I had received a little help from my friends prior to leaving my hotel and making my way there and as a result of this, I have never been sure when looking back to that time, of exactly how much of what I remember having seen during that night, had in fact actually taken place. :scratch:

There may be a clue somewhere in my story above, of how people like you who are left on the island when the ferry pulls out, as I was before that night in New Orleans, by that I mean in the sense that they just don't get it when it comes to these type of things; where there is a possibility there will be more than just a good chance, of them being able to enjoy seeing people dressed up in strange clothes.

It would be fair to give a warning, that there is also another strong possibility, that they will do as I distinctly remember doing at some point while everything was going on, that being find it impossible to prevent themselves, from "moving in a strange rhythmic fashion". However, I wouldn't want anyone to think that I am advocating that you or anyone else actually do this, I am just sharing the experience with you of what happened to me when I did ;)

Choc Dee,


George.

[dave_tf-old]

I look stupid enough just standing still--the main reason why I'm happiest in those overcrowded Issan 'discos' where fancy moves are space-prohibited and my more-or-less vertical bobbing blends into the crowd better. I did enjoy trying out that rather dangerous looking bamboo pole dance (no, not THAT kind of pole dancing--the one where a mistep can get your ankles crushed) and found it quite fun and surprisingly easy.

As for watching--dance is not my favorite artform, but there is a certain joy that creeps in from watching others have a good time, and it's overall as good a spectator sport as amateur baseball.

And George--getting a little TOO much help from your friends makes staring at eating utensils as entertaining as a Jacki Chan double feature, but I agree with your observations on Mardi Gras no matter your state of mind.

What happened to the pic posted by Ramona A Stone of the american version that was funny