Khon

Listen. Can you hear the music? It is happy and bouncy. Look at the sparkling costumes. They are so bright and shiny. A monkey leaps high, high in the air. A giant stomps his big, big feet. They wear beautiful, colorful masks on their faces. They are telling a story with their bodies, with their hands, and with their feet. I am that story. I am Khon, a special dance from Thailand. I am a story you can see with your eyes.

I was born a long, long, long time ago. I was born in a big, shiny palace in a place called the Ayutthaya Kingdom. I danced for kings and queens to make them happy. I love to tell stories. My favorite story is about brave Prince Rama and kind Princess Sita. A clever monkey named Hanuman helps them. Whee. He is so fast. But watch out for the big giant, Tosakan. He stomps and stomps. The dancers wear amazing masks to look like monkeys and giants. They wear shiny gold costumes. They move their hands and feet in a special way to tell you the story without any words. It is like a beautiful, dancing picture book.

For many, many years, I have made people smile. I keep the old stories alive so we never forget them. I used to dance just for kings and queens, but now I dance for everyone. I dance for you. On a very special day, November 29th, 2018, people from all over the world said I was a treasure. A treasure to keep safe forever so everyone can see me dance. I am a dancing story. I am here to help you dream big dreams and play fun games. Come dance with me.