CAMBODIA TRADITIONAL DANCE

CAMBODIA TRADITIONAL DANCE

1.       RAMAYANA ( A NARRATIVE ON MORALITY)

 Ramayana in Cambodian culture from the tenth century A.D. The literary text of Khmer adaptation dates back to the 16^th century.

Ramayana might have reached Cambodia through the contact with the South Indian kingdoms. Ancient Hindu temples here provide the earliest references of Ramayana and the world famous Angkor Wat temple depicts various episodes from the epic.

In Reamker, Lord Ram is known as “ Preah Ream” and Ravana is known as “ Krong Reap”. Sita is called “ Neang Seda” and Lakshman is called “ Preah Leak”. The name of Hanuman is the same but with a slightly different pronunciation.

2.       APSARA DANCE ( THE ETHEREAL DANCE OF THE ANCIENTS)

There are many classical dance forms in Cambodia, of which a highly stylized art form was once confined mainly to the courts of the royal palace and performed mainly by females. Known formally in Khmer as Robam Apsara, the dancers of this classical form are often referred to as Apsara dancers.

This dance form was first introduced to foreign countries and best known during the 1960s as the Khmer Royal Ballet. The first royal ballerina was Princess Norodom Bopha Devi, a daughter of King Norodom Sihanouk.

The Apsara Dance is a particularly inspired by the style from around more than a thousand Apsara carvings in the Angkor Temple complex. As evidenced in part by these Apsaras (celestial dancers), dance has been part of the Khmer culture for more than a millennium.

A visit to Cambodia is only complete when one has attended at least one such traditional dance performance.

3.       COCONUT SHELL DANCE ( A CEREMONIAL DANCE OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP)

The coconut Shell Dance is one of the most popular and well known of the Cambodian folk dances. The climate is tropical. Cambodia has 2 seasons, dry seasons and the rainy season. There are a lot of coconut trees throughout Cambodia and their fruits are in great abundance. After the meat of the coconut is carved out, Cambodians often save the shells, polish and use them in many practical ways.

The dance grew out of a popular game that used the coconut shells. The game is play during ceremonies, but more often during weddings, engagements and especially at the time when the groom is being escorted in a procession to the bride’s house. In its original form, this was a one man show. In the modern day version, an equal number of male and female dancers perform the dance personifying friendship and courtship.

4.       FISHING DANCE ( AN EXPRESSION OF JOY AND ROMANCE)

There is a saying in Cambodia, “where there is a water, there are fish”. In this dance, you see 2 traditional methods of catching fish; the use of braided bamboo baskets called CHHNEANG and bell shaped traps known locally as ANGRUT. Young women scoop water from the river into their Chhneang which act as strainers. As the water drains through the bamboo strips, small fish are trapped in these baskets. The men would use the ANGRUT for catching larger fish in shallow water.

Love and romance are favourite themes in Khmer stories and dances. In traditional Cambodian society, young people are carefully watched and have few opportunities to get to know one another. But the fishing quarter is one place they have a chance to meet.

At the beginning of the dance, young men come down to the river on one side and women from the other. The dance expresses their joy; how happy and excited they are when they meet each other. The boys playfully snatch the girls’ fishing baskets and they make merry.

In the dance, the group would split leaving one young couple behind and they fell in love. At the end of the dance, the group returns to tease and congratulate them.