The Somapa Thai Dance Company will present traditional Thai music and selected Thai dance numbers. The group will showcase newly and innovatively arranged music numbers that are performed on different occasions and for functions in Thai society, including ceremonial music at Buddhist temples, music originating in the old Siamese royal court, and traditional music derived from regional folk tunes and other cultures in the region. The orchestra will perform songs using percussion based (Piphat) and string instruments (Khrueang sai) as well as a mixed musical genre known as Mahori. The group is a distinguished Thai dance and music company based in the Washington DC area, featuring an accomplished Thai orchestra. Many of its artists have been trained with highly recognized dance and music masters, including National Artists and others from Chulalongkorn University and the prestigious department of fine arts in Bangkok, Thailand. The orchestra is led by the widely recognized Thai music master Vorayot Suksaichon. The group has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, the Walters Art Museum, the Maryland Folk Festival and the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC. The group's mission is to preserve and promote Thai culture and arts in the Americas. Through performances and workshops, the Company hopes that music and dance will bring peace and diversity to society through increased understanding of people's different cultures and backgrounds. The American Folklife Center is hosting the group in celebration of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
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