Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Artists performing the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
A performer stages the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
A performer stages the Khon dance, a traditional Thai dramatic art. /CFP
Often performed in a royal court with masked dancers and a narrator, Thailand's Khon Dance ranks as one of the country's best-known classical dances and a UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage. With a history of 400 years, it evolved from the rituals and dances associated with Hindu temples. It is usually performed by men dressed as exotic characters like demons and monkeys and male and female characters. Like other traditional Thai dances, it is known for its mixture of graceful and elaborate body movements with lavish costumes and music.