Most women would scream and run away if they saw a king cobra coming towards them, but Ms Vilaiphone Phaiphivath is different.

Her highly-popular show, in which she provokes a 10kg cobra, elicited screams of excitement and fear from the audience during her show at the National Circus last weekend in Vientiane .


It's not only old people who attend national traditional ceremonies. Young people, like these women, are also interested in attending the tak baat ceremony (alms giving to monks) on the first day of Buddhist Lent on Thursday morning. Lao people call this day Boun Khao Phan Sa. –Photo Sisay
She danced and teased the snake, smacking it on the head and making it angry. Ms Vilaiphone says she does not fear snakes, but she does respect them.

“Many people used to ask me if I had ever been bitten, and the answer is no, because I learnt a lot about snake behaviour and the ways to avoid being attacked before I started performing.”

“I have had a lot of experience playing with snakes, but I never take my mind off this cold-blooded animal, because it can attack at any time when it is feels it is in danger or hungry. I always have a guard present and prepare special medicine to treat snake bites.”

Ms Vilaiphone has owned her 10kg king cobra for more than six years, having bought it from a snake farm in Khonkhaen province, Thailand .

She also performs with a 56kg python, which she bought from Long district in Luang Namtha province.

“The weight of the python is almost the same as my weight, but it's easier and safer performing with the python than it is performing with a king cobra,” she said.

“The snake charmer told me the king cobra never learnt who its teacher was, so I am always careful when I play with it during the show.”

Ms Vilaiphone was born in ****han Tai village, Hadxaifong district, and worked with her family's trading business.

When she was young she saw a Lao National Circus performance and was inspired.

“I loved it, but I never thought that I would come to do this kind of work, because I didn't have any basic knowledge about circus performance,” Ms Vilaiphone said.

She founded the Lam Leuang folk drama group in 1963 and toured the country. “During that time, it was booming because there were not many groups doing acts like us and this made us became a well-known group, receiving many requests to perform in many provinces, especially in the northern provinces ,” she said.

The group expanded to include 32 artists, including folk drama performers, comedians and famous country singers at that time, such as Vanxai Somsouk and Noy Nathithong.

“If people knew we were coming to their province they would come to book a seat near the stage very early in order to get a good view,” she said.

In the past few years competition in the industry increased and Ms Vilaiphone decided to change the focus of her show from folk drama to circus performance.

She is now a director of Phaisikham Acrobatic Troupe, which was established more than 10 years ago and consists of 15 circus performers. The troupe members developed their skills in Thailand and Vietnam , learning magic tricks, comedy, acrobatics and snake provocation.

“I am proud of my job, because not many people here can do what I do, men included,” Ms Vilaiphone said.

“I want to suggest that other people who want to perform like me should be careful and learn a lot before performing with snakes. It's very dangerous for a performer - a small mistake carries the risk of death. I need to warn people who see my show not to imitate it when they see a snake in their natural habitat,” she said.

Ms Vilaiphone smacks the king cobra's head, hoping to provoke it.





By PHOONSAB THEVONGSA
(Latest Update July 26, 2008)