Sacred Dancers of Angkor – Apsara

We skipped the buffet Apsara dance performances held at many Siem Reap hotels opting to see the Sacred Dancers of Angkor at the Divine Sala instead.

An Apsara is a beautiful elegant young feminine ethereal being in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Apsaras entertain both gods and kings with their dance while seducing mortals with their beauty. They are seen in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples and are the inspiration for the classical Cambodian ballet known as the Apsara dance.

In Apsara dance, the slow mesmerising hand gestures, of which more than 1500 exist, each having their own meaning, are meant to hypnotize mortal audiences. The Apsara dancers wear elegant silk clothing with precious jewellery. Usually, they start training when they are very young so that they can develop flexibility in their hands and feet for the graceful moves.

It is estimated that 90 percent of Khmer artists were massacred during the Khmer Rouge (1975 – 1979). The Apsara dance art form was almost lost. HRH Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, herself a classical dancer, is credited for the revival of modern-day Apsara dance. She died a few months ago.

The Sacred Dancers of Angkor Troupe are from the Banteay Srei area, part of the Angkor Wat complex. They travel to here to Siem Reap twice a week to perform. When we arrived by tuk-tuk at the Divine Sala we were greeted in the darkness of the night illuminated by candles. There was meditative music being played on drums and xylophones before the barefoot and fresh-faced Apsara dancers appeared. Our audience was small and engrossed in the experience as we sat in an outdoor space on wooden benches. I will admit that I was still mal-adjusted to the time, 12-hour difference, so I found myself nodding off at times. So soothing.

Our programme included an extract of the Reamker (Battle of the White Monkey and Black Monkey), an extract of the Legend of Preah Neang Neak (the Genesis of Cambodia), and Robam Jun Por (blessing dance to bless and honour us the guests).

The genesis story says the Naga kingdom of reptilian beings existed in the Pacific Ocean. One day the Naga princess Neang Neak took a bath at the seashore and her beauty caught the eyes of Preah Thong, an Indian prince, of the Indian kingdom that ruled the land. It was love at first sight for him so he went to the Naga king for permission to marry his daughter but was refused. The king asked him instead to defeat Naga’s most powerful warrior which he did. After doing so, he was given permission to marry the princess. The Naga king then swallowed all the water to uncover the land of Kok Tlorm which he gave to the newlyweds as a wedding gift. This land became Cambodia.

I’m happy to have seen the Sacred Dancers of Angkor instead of the usual restaurant buffet Apsara shows. It would have disrespectful I think as inevitably guests would be engrossed in eating, drinking, and even talking rather than being totally enthralled by the beautiful and meaningful dance before them.