A trip to Cambodia without witnessing the Khmer Apsara dance is a missed opportunity in any visitor’s experience. Combining art, history, and spirituality, the dance provides a glimpse into Cambodia’s cultural heritage.
Apsara dance
In the Khmer language, ‘Apsara’ means water nymph or celestial spirit. These mystical beings are recognized for their beauty and captivating dance. Apsaras, celestial dancers in Hindu mythology, entertain gods and kings. As spirits embodying water and clouds, their dance symbolizes fluidity. The irresistible charm of Apsaras, depicted on Angkor’s stone walls since the 7th century, captivates both mortals and divinities. Present-day Apsara dancers draw inspiration from these ancient carvings, especially prominent in Angkor Wat and the ancient city of Angkor Thom.
An Apsara dance features a main character and a group of dancers as fairies in a rose garden. Unlike traditional dances worldwide, Apsara demands slow yet delicate movements, highlighting the dancers’ beauty and the art form’s uniqueness. Each movement symbolizes a phenomenon or character; for instance, a curved finger pointing upwards signifies ‘today’. Alongside hand gestures, flexible foot postures depict the tight and round curves of life.
History
The Apsara dance originated around the 7th century. In the 12th century, when Angkor Wat was in full glory, King Jayavarman VII reportedly hosted over 3000 Apsara dancers. However, by the 15th century, the dance faced challenges of survival amidst Angkor’s decline. It was revived in the late 1940s by Queen Sisowath Kossamak. During the Khmer Rouge (1975–1979), the dance once again faced near extinction, yet surviving dancers have preserved the tradition.
Types of Traditional Cambodian Dances
Traditional Cambodian dances can be broadly categorized into three types: folk dances, social dances, and classical dances. Folk and classical dances depict gods, ancient Khmer village life, or offerings. Khmer classical dances include globally recognized Apsara dance and Wishing dance, alongside other lesser known forms. Folk dances are passed down through generations and are performed during ethnic and religious ceremonies and festivals. Social dances are performed at parties and weddings.
Training
To master the complex Apsara dance, aspiring Cambodian children, particularly girls, undergo extensive training in their youth, spanning 9 years, to increase their flexibility. Specific movements involve bending fingers backwards almost touching the arms, and instructors use scarves to help position the fingers correctly until muscle memory develops. Every finger movement has a specific meaning, which is learnt during the training.
Attire
Apsara dancers adorn traditional costume reminiscent of Angkor temple carvings; their costume includes elegant silk clothes with floral motifs, headdresses, and jewellery. The primary character, the White Apsara, dons an all-white outfit, while her counterparts wear colourful skirts. In contrast to the Angkorian era, contemporary Apsara dancers opt for tight-fitting silk bodices, mirroring the appearance of their bare-chested predecessors. The elaborate preparation for performances involves wearing a round red or golden collar with beaded designs, taking up to three hours, resulting in a stunning exotic look that captivates observers.
The ‘skirt’ is essentially a 10-foot-long, 39-inch-wide cloth draped sarong-style with front pleats held by a decorative belt. The protruding pleats, forming a fan shape at the front, known as the naga (cobra) style, resemble a cobra’s winged head.
Dancers drape an embroidered shawl-like garment over their left shoulder. Adornments include bright and golden jewellery like necklaces, bracelets, ankle and wrist bangles, an upper arm cuff on the right arm, and body chains. Dancers also sport dignified crowns representing a character’s rank. They come in various styles, with floral accents like a tassel on the crown’s left side and a rose over the right ear.
Apsara Dance at Crystal Angkor Restaurant
After six days of exploring Angkor Wat’s temples, I eagerly sought a cultural experience. In Siem Reap, select hotels offer Cambodia’s traditional Apsara dance paired with an evening buffet; I chose Crystal Angkor Restaurant. Their show runs from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Priced at around US$21, it encompasses five dance segments conveying diverse stories. I booked a reservation and arrived by 7 p.m. so I could choose a vantage point to photograph the essence of the performance. The show commenced with the Blessing dance.
The Blessing Dance (Robam Jun Por)
The blessing dance warmly welcomes and extends blessings to visitors. Cambodian people, in general, present themselves as kind and courteous, promoting unity and friendship.
In olden days, this dance was performed for kings and royal visitors, as a royal tradition, to ward off evil spirits and dispel wickedness. Today, it is performed at the beginning of weddings and opening ceremonies, extending a warm welcome to attendees.
Young Khmer ladies perform as angels (‘devata’) bestowing contentment and good fortune on the audience. The dancers wear traditional Cambodian ballet costumes and carry golden goblets filled with fragrant flowers, symbolizing showers of blessings from God.
Coconut Shell Dance (Robam Kous Trolaok)
Cambodian folk dances, like the coconut shell dance, offer a livelier and faster-paced contrast to traditional Khmer dances. With roots in Khmer history, the dance symbolizes the significance of coconuts in the Khmer people’s daily life.
Coconut dancers don costumes reflecting common people, peasants, or specific tribes. Typically, five pairs of men and women participate in the dance (though it can be three or seven pairs), each holding a pair of meticulously polished coconut shells. The beautiful sound produced by striking together these coconut shells is an important aspect of this dance.
Exclusive to royalty during the Angkor Empire, the dance nowadays is performed by the local Khmer people after a hard day’s labour in paddy (rice) fields or during special occasions like the Khmer New Year and anniversaries and marriages. Coconuts symbolize youth and fertility in Cambodian culture, and the coconut shell dance showcases love rituals between young men and women, who represent water and earth according to Khmer mythology.
The dance celebrates the myriad uses of coconut palms in Cambodia, ranging from being a source of food to their use in making domestic things and even musical instruments. Coconuts find diverse applications in Cambodian culture (e.g., they are used in pastries, and their shells are used to make ornaments and cutlery).
Mekhala Dance (Robam Moni Mekhala)
Mekhala dance is a traditional Cambodian rain dance symbolizing the victory of good over evil: The sea goddess Moni Mekhala, armed with a magical crystal ball, triumphs over the storm demon Ream Eyso, whose axe creates thunder, symbolizing the arrival of beneficial rains and thus the ending of the dry season. The dance narrates the myth of their fight for control of this magical ball.
In Cambodian legends, Moni Mekhala and Ream Eyso studied under the hermit Lok Ta Moni Eisei, who possessed a magical crystal ball. Moni Mekhala’s clever method to collect morning dew earned her the crystal ball, inciting jealousy in Ream Eyso. In an attempt to seize the ball, he encounters and kills Voracchun, another character in the legend.
Moni Mekhala evades Ream Eyso’s attacks with compassion, and the fight unfolds into a dance. The climax sees the goddess sending the ball into the sky, creating flashes of lightning that blind the demon. The goddess escapes, and the friction produces nourishing rain, continuing the cycle.
Moni Mekhala’s costume includes a decorative gold crown, front crown, ear jewellery, and a sampot sarabap, while Ream Eyso’s attire, typical of giant characters, features embroidered banners, long-sleeved shirts, and a yaksha mask with a distinctive hamsa’s tail crown. The character of Ream Eyso stands out with a magic axe.
Mekhala dance captures the essence of Cambodian mythology, showcasing the eternal battle between good and evil. Each character’s costume reflects their mythical roles and powers.
Fishing Dance (Robam Nesat)
Fishing dance is a lively Khmer folk dance depicting the daily lives of farmers and fishermen using traditional bamboo fishing tools like Ang Rut and Chhneang. The dance portrays two methods of fishing: one where young women use braided bamboo baskets (Chhneang) to trap small fish by scooping water from the flowing river water, and the other where men use bell-shaped bamboo traps (Ang Rut) to catch larger fish in shallow waters.
The dance captures the unique dynamics of young people’s interactions, with the fishing quarter serving as a rare rendezvous point. Playful flirtations ensue during fishing, with boys cheekily snatching girls’ fishing baskets, creating a merry atmosphere. Amidst the lively group, one couple emerges, deepening their connection, symbolizing the blossoming of love. The dance concludes with the group returning, and teasing and congratulating the pair. Love and romance, common themes in Khmer culture, makes this dance popular.
The fishing dance is performed at religious ceremonies and festivities, and as a leisurely entertainment, portraying how the Khmer people along the Tonle Sap River engaged in fishing.
Apsara Ballet
Apsara ballet was performed at offering ceremonies and palace celebrations. The dance movements narrate stories from Cambodian culture. Real frangipani flowers adorn the dancer’s long dark hair. A tassel of jasmine flowers hangs from the left side of her crown, and another frangipani flower is tucked above her right ear. Dangling earrings, armbands, bangles, and anklets slide and clink during the performance, completing the ensemble.
As the final notes of the Apsara ballet dance faded away, the hall erupted in applause. A brief and delightful photo session after the dance allowed the audience to capture magical moments with the dancers, creating lasting memories.
Afterword
As I returned to my hotel, the echoes of the Apsara ballet dance lingered in my mind. The dance wasn’t just a performance; it was a testament to Cambodia’s cultural significance and the country’s commitment to preserve its heritage. The choreography, depicting traditional stories and scenes from the Angkorian era, transported me to a different time and place. The rich history and artistic legacy of Cambodia left me with a profound appreciation for the beauty and cultural depth embedded in the Apsara ballet dance.
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