Cambodia 2020 - 26. The Divine Apsara Dancers

26. The Divine Apsara Dancers

Hands, Feet, Balance: Amazing

The Divine Sala Theater, with The Sacred Dances of Angkor, is actually a School. This School is supported by funding from the present King of Cambodia, HM King Norodom Sihamoni and is under the patronage of the Princess, HRH Princess Norodom Buppha Devi. It also received funds and has support from UNESCO.

All Parts Danced By Women

How Do They Do That?

It Was a Highlight of Our Trip Too

It all started in 1994 at the end of the Khmer Rouge period. With the help of the above, 14 disadvantaged villages in the larger Angkor area were supported. 

 

Her Left Palm Is Up

In 1999 a group called NKFC worked with 2800 families to empower the local communities helping them to provide for their own basic needs, like water, hygiene and healthcare first, but then adding literacy, primary education and vocational training next.

Many Intricate Hand Movements

In 2007 the NKFC group started this school and training center for dance, music and craft skills. This group, the NKFC found that dance and music played a miraculous role in healing the deep physiological scars left by the experience of the genocide during the Khmer Rouge period. This reconciliation of families, their traditions, values, cultural heritage helped in unimagined ways.

Traditional Musical Accompaniment.
Each Performance Starts With a Prayer

A visit to the Conservatory is to see probably the most authentic Apsara show you can experience in Siem Reap, or even Cambodia.

Each Movement
Has Meaning

The training so far has included about 200 students between the ages of 4 to 17. The training consists of classical folk music and classical dance in the old Khmer ways. Using 1500 hand gestures infused with emotive symbolism, the dancers evoke a spectrum of human emotions.

Male Part (on Right) Danced By Female.
Female Part (on Left) Danced By Female

The students need to learn between 40 dances and 60 dance dramas.  The silent gestures and body movements embody the values of elegance, respect and spirituality. It is a hard training (watch this awesome video) and takes years to learn and perfect.

The Courtship

All the dancers’ costumes have become trademarks of the conservatory. Simple costumes adorned and made only with naturally died and woven fabrics. Constructed by the hands of the dancers themselves; no makeup is used on their faces during performances.

All this hard work paid off, however, this group has toured and performed in the U.S., Japan and Laos and has by now acquired international recognition.

The Wedding Ceremony

We were a bit hyped about seeing it and we were not disappointed.

The 1^st dance performance was a recreation of the battle between the white and the black monkey; a story from the Ramayana Epic. This part was danced by 5 male dancers. 

Now Married

The 2^nd and much longer dance told the story of a young couple falling in love and getting married. This second part was danced by an all female cast. Men and women do not touch before marriage, not even on stage.

A Gift For the Couple

Blessing the Couple With Lotus Petals

The 3^rd and final dance was a Wishing/Blessing Dance where lotus flower pedals were strewn over the audience and a refreshing drink was served. Each member of the audience was given a small white cotton bracelet to protect them, send them off on their way with wishes of good health and well being.

Wedding Celebration Dance

Consider this blog a white cotton bracelet given to you.