Queer East festival presents No. 60, the culmination of esteemed Thai choreographer and dance artist Pichet Klunchun’s deconstruction of Thai traditional Khon dance. We sat down for an exclusive interview with Pichet Klunchun about his new show No. 60 at The Place for the Queer East Festival.
This show is on the 19th of May at 7:30 pm – Tickets available here.
No. 60 reimagines a deeply rooted tradition. What first led you to return to the foundations of Thai classical Dance in this way?
I did not begin by trying to make Thai classical dance “contemporary.” I began by trying to understand it more deeply.
In the traditional context, what we know is what we remember. Tradition often exists in this way—as something repeated and preserved. But I was interested in going beyond memory to understand the structure beneath it.
Thai classical dance may appear fixed, but it is in fact a highly organised system of knowledge embodied in the body. I studied its internal logic—how movement is constructed, how meaning is encoded, how the body is trained to think.
Through this process, I began to see how this knowledge could generate new forms. The process itself revealed how tradition can become a foundation for creation, rather than a limitation.
Thai Classical Dance carries centuries of history and discipline. How did you approach working with tradition through a contemporary lens?
No. 60 began with a question: What is the essence of Thai classical dance beyond its visible form?
It is built on canonical positions known as Mae Bot Yai, typically learned through repetition rather than analysis. I wanted to understand how they function as a system. This led me to deconstruct all 59 positions into a diagrammatic structure, examining energy and spatial relationships.
Tradition often operates through belief and cultural continuity, while the contemporary operates through systems of knowledge and dialogue with the present. Through this process, I began to see that Thai classical dance contains an internal logic that can be extended.
No. 60 transforms this into a generative system, allowing dancers to construct their own vocabulary. In this sense, the contemporary becomes a way of rearticulating tradition—making it more legible, connected, and meaningful within the structures and imagination of today’s society.
Returning to the foundation was essential. Without understanding the root, innovation remains superficial.
The piece unfolds through two contrasting choreographic studies—one more abstract, the other more expressive. What drew you to placing these approaches in dialogue?
I was interested in creating a kind of ecosystem where tradition and the contemporary can coexist and interact, rather than oppose each other.
The two choreographic approaches—one abstract, one expressive—reflect different ways of understanding the body. The abstract work is closer to a system: it reveals structure, principles, and internal logic. The expressive work, on the other hand, connects to narrative, emotion, and imagination.
This dialogue also reflects two modes of thinking. On one side, there is the belief-based discipline of Asian training, rooted in repetition and embodied knowledge. On the other, there are Western methodologies that emphasise analysis, articulation, and systems of understanding.
By placing them together, I am not trying to resolve the tension, but to create a space where these approaches can inform each other—forming a shared language that is both rooted and evolving.
You perform this duet with Kornkarn Rungsawang. How has this collaboration shaped the development of the work?
This collaboration reshaped not only the work but also the relationship within it.
Traditionally, Thai classical dance is structured around a hierarchy between teacher and student. In this piece, we intentionally dissolve that hierarchy and create a sense of equality on stage. The duet becomes a shared space of exchange rather than transmission.
Working with Kornkarn, who represents the next generation, makes the ideas of No. 60 tangible. Her body and way of thinking bring a different perspective—one that reflects how this system can evolve beyond my own interpretation.
At the same time, the work allows for the dancer’s autonomy. Using the principles of No. 60, interpretation is no longer fixed. It becomes a process where each dancer constructs meaning through their own embodied understanding.
What do you most hope audiences experience when encountering No. 60?
I see No. 60 as a core proposition of my company—something I want to share with both Thai society and the international context. It is an attempt not only to present tradition, but to expand and possibly transform how tradition is understood.
One of my intentions is to invite audiences to experience a different way of reading movement. Thai classical dance can be highly abstract—particularly for those who may not have an existing cultural framework to understand it.
Through No. 60, I attempt to create new points of access by constructing a kind of map using diagrams. This approach allows audiences to connect with the work and begin to interpret it through a different system—one that makes the structure more visible and opens a pathway for understanding beyond prior knowledge.
Presenting this work at the Queer East Festival, at The Place, is especially meaningful, as it situates this dialogue within a context that actively supports new ways of seeing, questioning, and understanding performance across cultures.
See more by the Queer East Festival here.