No visit to Cambodia is complete without
attending at least one traditional Khmer dance performance, often
referred to as 'Apsara Dance' after one of the most popular
Classical dance pieces. Traditional Khmer dance is better described
as 'dance-drama' in that the dances are not merely dance but are
also meant to convey a story or message. There are four main modern genres
of traditional Khmer dance:
1) Classical Dance, also known as Court or Palatine Dance (lakhon
preah reach troap or lakhon luong); 2) Shadow theater (sbeik thom
and sbeik toot); 3) Lakhon Khol (all-male masked dance-drama.); 4)
Folk Dance (Ceremonial and Theatrical).
As evidenced in part by the innumerable
apsaras (celestial dancers) that adorn the walls of Angkorian and
pre-Angkorian temples, dance has been part of Khmer culture for well
more than a millennium, though there have been ruptures in the
tradition over the centuries, making it impossible to precisely
trace the source of the tradition. Much of traditional dance
(especially Classical) is inspired by Angkorian-era art and themes,
but the tradition has not been passed unbroken from the age of
Angkor. Most traditional dances seen today were developed in the
18th through 20th centuries, beginning in earnest with a mid-19th
century revival championed by King Ang Duong (reigned 1841-1869). Subsequent
Kings and other Khmer Royals also strongly supported the arts and
dance, most particularly Queen Sisowath Kossamak Nearireach (retired
King Norodom Sihanouk's mother) in the mid-20th century, who not
only fostered a resurgence in the study and development of Khmer
traditional dance, but also helped move it out of the Palace and
popularize it. Queen
Sisowath Kossamak trained her grand daughter Princess Bopha Devi in
the art of traditional dance from early childhood, who went on to
become the face of Khmer traditional dance in the 1950s and 60s
both in Cambodia and around the world. Many traditional dances that
are seen in performances today were developed and refined
between the 1940s and 1960s under the guidance and patronage of Queen Sisowath Kossamak at the Conservatory of Performing Arts
and the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. Almost
all of the Theatrical Folk dances that are presented in modern
performances were developed during this period. Like so much of
Cambodian art and culture, traditional dance was almost lost under
the brutal repression of the Khmer Rouge regime of the late 1970s, only to be revived
and reconstructed in the 1980s and 90s due, in large part, to the
extraordinary efforts of Princess Bopha Devi.
Classical dance, including the famous
'Apsara dance,' has a grounded, subtle, even restrained, yet
feather-light, ethereal appearance. Distinct in its ornate costuming, taut
posture, arched back and feet, fingers flexed backwards, codified facial
expressions, slow, close, deliberate but flowing movements,
Classical dance is uniquely Khmer. It presents themes and stories inspired primarily by
the Reamker (the Cambodian version of the Indian classic, the Ramayana) and
the Age of Angkor.
Folk Dance come in two forms: ceremonial
and theatrical. As a general rule, only Theatrical Folk Dance is
presented in public performances, with Ceremonial Folk Dances
reserved for particular rituals, celebrations and holidays. Theatrical Folk Dances such as the popular
Good Harvest Dance and the romantic Fishing Dance are usually
adaptations of dances found in the countryside or inspired by rural
life and practices. Most of the Theatrical Folk Dances that are seen
in performances today were developed at the Royal University of
Fine Arts in Phnom Penh in the 1960s as part of an effort to
preserve and perpetuate Khmer culture and arts.
Shadow theatre
comes in two forms: Sbeik Thom (big puppets that are actually panels
depicting certain characters from the story) and Sbeik Toot (small
articulated puppets). The black leather puppets are held in front of
a light source, either in front or behind a screen, creating a
shadow or silhouette effect. Sbeik Thom is the more uniquely
Cambodian, more formal of the two types, restricting itself to
stories from the Reamker. The performance is accompanied by a pin
peat orchestra and narration, and the puppeteers are silent, moving
the panels with dance-like movements. Sbeik Toot has a far lighter
feel, presenting popular stories of heroes, adventures, love and
battles, with or without orchestra and with the puppeteers often
doing the narration.
Lakhon Khol is all male masked theatre
presenting exclusively stories from the Reamker.
Most dance performances in Siem Reap offer a mixture of Classical and Theatrical Folk dances. A few venues offer Shadow Theater. Many of the dance performances in Siem Reap consist of 4-6 individual dances, often opening with an Apsara Dance, followed by two other Classical dances and two or three Theatrical Folk dances. The Apsara Dance is a Classical dance inspired by the apsara carvings and sculptures of Angkor and developed in the late 1940s by Queen Sisowath Kossamak. Her grand daughter and protégé, Princess Bopha Devi, was the first star of the Apsara Dance. The central character of the dance, the apsara Mera, leads her coterie of apsaras through a flower garden where they partake of the beauty of the garden. The movements of the dance are distinctly Classical yet, as the dance was developed for theatrical presentation, it is shorter and a bit more relaxed and flowing than most Classical dances, making it both an excellent example of the movements, manner and spirit of Classical dance and at the same time particularly accessible to a modern audience unaccustomed to the style and stories of Khmer dance-drama.
Most dance performances in Siem Reap offer a mixture of Classical and Theatrical Folk dances. A few venues offer Shadow Theater. Many of the dance performances in Siem Reap consist of 4-6 individual dances, often opening with an Apsara Dance, followed by two other Classical dances and two or three Theatrical Folk dances. The Apsara Dance is a Classical dance inspired by the apsara carvings and sculptures of Angkor and developed in the late 1940s by Queen Sisowath Kossamak. Her grand daughter and protégé, Princess Bopha Devi, was the first star of the Apsara Dance. The central character of the dance, the apsara Mera, leads her coterie of apsaras through a flower garden where they partake of the beauty of the garden. The movements of the dance are distinctly Classical yet, as the dance was developed for theatrical presentation, it is shorter and a bit more relaxed and flowing than most Classical dances, making it both an excellent example of the movements, manner and spirit of Classical dance and at the same time particularly accessible to a modern audience unaccustomed to the style and stories of Khmer dance-drama.
link me to via Apsara Dance: Traditional Khmer Dance-Drama and Dance-Drama Performances
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