Tree spirit in garden inspires dance

By Cynthia Lee

Standing at the cultural crossroads of UCLA where East blends into West, Waewdao Sirisook, an M.F.A. student studying dance, is worlds away from Sankok Chang, her village in northern Thailand.

But spiritually, she has never strayed far from the rituals and traditions of her people, the Lanna. And these traditions were what set her on a mystical quest to find "Grandmother Tree" on campus.

To the Lanna, trees are endowed with powerful spirits that they honor in ceremonies, making offerings of dance, music, food and actions that represent the five elements — form, taste, fragrance, sound and touch — cherished by the tree spirit.

"This tree spirit — if you treat it well — will protect you," said Sirisook. "You have to give them an offering to satisfy them. But if they get angry at you, then things can go wrong for you."

For her dance project in the World Arts and Cultures Department, Sirisook chose to choreograph a dance inspired by the traditions of her culture and Southeast Asian dance movements, with a larger goal: "I want to bring people closer to my way of thinking and relating to nature." The central theme of Lanna culture, she said, is to protect nature and to show gratitude for nature's protection.

Finding the right tree spirit for her performance presented a challenge. "I walked around the campus. Some trees are very beautiful, but they're located near a lot of buildings and cars."

Months later, she found "Grandmother Tree" in the Mildred Mathias Botanical Garden, and on Oct. 12, with all the beauty and elegance of temple dancers, Sirisook and four dancers paid respect to the tree spirit with a breathtaking performance before a few invited guests sitting on woven mats.

To the beating of drums, gongs and cymbals, the barefooted dancers, wearing traditional silk wraps and garments of colorful woven cloth, surrounded a majestic Australian willow myrtle, its multiple twisted and gnarled trunks exquisitely sculpted by nature. The fragrance of burning incense filled the air as the women offered up strung flowers, fruit and bowls of exotic flowers to Grandmother Tree, its branches outstretched, as if beckoning to be embraced.

For 45 minutes, the dancers related the story of the tree spirit with fluid movements that veered between passionate and playful.

"The moment I saw this tree, it gave me a special feeling," Sirisook said earlier. "It wasn't its size. I have seen very, very big trees in Yosemite. But there was no feeling of protection in them. This is a tree you can rest under."

Henry Varney, senior nursery technician who helped Sirisook fulfill her dream of honoring the tree, marveled at the way these artists transformed the garden.

"I've been working in this garden for 15 years, and I thought I knew everything about it," he said. "But I know it as a gardener. Now someone has come along to open up a whole new way to experience this garden. I think it's just wonderful."

A videotape of Sirisook's performance of "Kuwang Salee: Spirit and Voice of Nature" in the botanical garden will soon be available for viewing.

To see more photos of their performance, see the Gallery on UCLA Today Online's home page.