Siem Reap - Apsara celestial dancers

Trip Start Feb 17, 2007
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Trip End Sep 06, 2008


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Flag of Cambodia  ,
Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Hello again,

My favorite dance performance in Asia is in Siem Reap.  Apsara dancing.  I take every group there.

It's hard to find performing art here.  Karaoke is king!  One of my friends took me out in the country to visit her aunt and uncle.  They live in a simple three-walled house made of straw with mud floor.  No running water.  But they do have electricity...for a karaoke system.

Apsara dance is characterized by slow, deliberate hand movements.  Fingers are curved back and set around a stoic face.  The posture is an arched back.  Most often it's a female in a colorful silk costume with an ornate gold headpiece.  Solos will feature a lead dancer bending her arms and free leg while balancing on the other.  In this position, she will rotate on her grounded foot.  Very elegant.

Ensembles can vary.  Sometimes there are several females that accompany the lead.  They usually wear smaller headpieces and stand further backstage.  Other times, male dancers will join the females.  Together, they will act out traditional scenes like catching fish, harvesting rice or courtship between boy and girl.

Apsara dance was prominent during the Angkor period.  Bas-reliefs are visible throughout most wats.  I'm not Hindu but I sure like their dancing Shiva.

It is fortunate that Apsara survives today.  It almost disappeared with the fall of the Angkor empire.  In the 19th century it reappeared in the royal court.  In the 20th century, its popularity spread beyond the court.  A second threat to Apsara dance was the Khmer Rouge, which tried to repress it entirely.  But today there's a new generation of children growing up with this beautiful art form.

Eric
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