Traditional Thai Dance Knowledge Archiving and Visualization Using Dance Notation Method

Abstract

In Southeast Asia, Thai dance is a living traditional art form that belongs to the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) listed by UNESCO. This unique and stylized traditional dance portrays its history, culture, emotional expression, body movement, etc. Teaching and learning Thai dance is passing on generations to generations with one on one teaching and practicing form teacher to student. However, the number of Thai dance teachers is dramatically reduced year by year, as well as Thai dance students. Nevertheless, to archive Thai dance knowledge from Thai dance teachers is challenging, which is transferring Tacit Knowledge to Explicit Knowledge. Also, not widespread universal platforms such as Dance Notation System had been used to archive the Thai dance movement in Thailand. The purpose of this thesis is arm to transform Tacit Knowledge of Thai dance to Explicit Knowledge. To design Human-Readable information and Machine-Readable information. To develop Machine-Readable information for dance notation score, which can be translated to represent Thai dance in human figure posture image. To evaluate Machine-Readable information which able to support the Thai dance training system. The context is the first level where the Knowledge Audit is to acquire Thai dance knowledge from Thai dance teachers, understand the learning and teaching process of Thai dance, understand Thai dance student’s learning process. To transform Tacit Knowledge from the teacher into Explicit Knowledge. The second level is Knowledge Archive, where to archive tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge based on a performance model. Two separating processes, the first process is Laban scores process [KAR-P1-A] by record video and archiving the movement as Laban scores. The second process is the motion capture process [KAR-P1-B], archiving the movement using a motion capture system. The third level is Knowledge Visualization were to visualize explicit knowledge using two separate processes. First, ThaiLabanXML standard [KVP1-A] is to implement the program called “Drag & Drop Thai Laban score,” which provides the user to archive Thai Laban score with 3D human figure movement display. Second, the Thai dance training tool process [KV-P1-B] is implementing a game arcade called “Thai dance training tool,” which provides Thai dance students to learn and practice Thai dance movement with the feedback of each body part scores, total scores, and leaderboard. The four levels are Knowledge Transfer was to evaluate the user knowledge using two implemented systems; Assessment [KT-P1-A]: Drag & Drop Thai Laban score program and Assessment [KT-P1-B]: Thai dance training tool. Drag & Drop Thai Laban score system and Thai dance training tool is the outcome of the research framework that applied at the dance school as our case study. Drag & Drop Thai Laban score system allows the user to archive the Thai dance movement with a 3D human figure display. Correspondingly, the Thai dance training tool system allows the students to practice the Thai dance movement according to their curriculum. Furthermore, the result of implementation presented to transfer knowledge to Thai dance students and feedback back from them.