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Royal Ballet of Cambodia

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia (Khmer: របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ, Robam Preah Reach Trop, lit. Dance of Royal Wealth) is a classical Khmer dance renowned for its graceful hand movements and luxurious costumes. The ballet has been closely associated with the Khmer court for over a thousand years and would traditionally accompany various royal ceremonies, including coronations, weddings, funerals, and Khmer holidays. The ballet's repertoire encompasses various ancient Khmer legends.[1]

Royal Ballet of Cambodia
របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ
Cambodia Royal Ballet
CountryCambodia
DomainsPerforming arts
Reference553
RegionAsia and the Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription7 November 2003 (18th session)
ListInscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2003)

Despite facing significant challenges, including near extinction during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia remains an important cultural heritage of Cambodia. With its sacred and symbolic significance, the dance embodies traditional values of refinement, respect, and spirituality of the Khmer people.[1]

Since 2003, it has been inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[1]

Etymology edit

Western names for this dance tradition, such as Cambodian court dance, often make reference to the royal court, as the tradition was performed and maintained by attendants of the royal palaces.[2][3] As a performing art, it is formally referred to as the Royal Ballet of Cambodia (le Ballet royal du Cambodge in French) by UNESCO, Cravath, Brandon, and others in the academic field,[1][4][5] although this term may also refer to the National Dance Company of Cambodia. The term Khmer classical dance is also used alongside "Royal Ballet of Cambodia" in publications by UNESCO and the above-mentioned authors.[1]

In Khmer, it is formally known as Robam Preah Reach Trop (របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ, lit. "dances of royal wealth") or Lakhon Preah Reach Trop (ល្ខោនព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ, lit. "theatre of royal wealth").[unver. 1] It is also referred to as Lakhon Luong (ល្ខោនហ្លួង, lit. "the king's theatre").[6][7] During the Lon Nol regime of Cambodia, the dance tradition was referred to as Lakhon Kbach Boran Khmer (ល្ខោនក្បាច់បូរាណខ្មែរ, lit. "Khmer theatre of the ancient style"), a term alienating it from its royal legacy.[7][8]

Khmer classical dancers, as a whole, are frequently referred to as apsara dancers by laymen; this usage would be incorrect with the modern form of the dance, as the apsara is just one type of character among others in the repertoire. Regardless, the tradition's romanticized affiliation with the apsaras and devatas of the ruins of Angkor still persists.

History edit

Angkor and pre-Angkor era edit

 
Dancing figures on a bas-relief in Angkor showing traditional Khmer dance gestures (12th century)
 
Colorized bas-relief showing a dancing figure in Angkor Wat (12th century)

One of the earliest records of dance in Cambodia is from the 7th century, where performances were used as a funeral rite for kings.[9] During the Angkor period, dance was ritually performed at temples.[7] The temple dancers came to be considered as apsaras, who served as entertainers and messengers to divinities.[10] Ancient stone inscriptions describe thousands of apsara dancers assigned to temples and performing divine rites as well as for the public.[7] The tradition of temple dancers declined during the 15th century, as the Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya raided Angkor. When Angkor fell, its artisans, Brahmins, and dancers were taken captive to Ayutthaya.[7]

French colonial era edit

 
Royal dance troupe of King Sisowath, early 1900s.

Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1863. Since then, dancers began performing for foreign dignitaries and for the public on the monarch’s birthday. Dance was thereby, promoted as national identity.[11]

Dancers of the court of King Sisowath were exhibited at the 1906 Colonial Exposition in Marseilles at the suggestion of George Bois, a French representative in the Cambodian court.[12] Auguste Rodin was captivated by the Cambodian dancers and created at least 150 watercolour paintings of the dancers.[13] He followed the Khmer ballet dancers from Paris to Marseille with their return to Phnom Penh.[14] Rodin interpreted the performance as ballet dance.[13][15]

 
Auguste Rodin Painting Cambodia Classical Dance 1906

Post-independent Cambodia edit

Queen Sisowath Kossamak became a patron of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. Under the Queen's guidance, several reforms were made to the royal ballet, including choreography. Dance dramas were dramatically shortened from all-night spectacles to about one hour in length.[16] Prince Norodom Sihanouk featured the dances of the royal ballet in his films. Though the Royal Ballet originally had no men due to the perception that male dancers did not perform with the refinement of women, contemporary performances include men in livelier roles such as a monkey and Moni Ey-Sey.

 
A mural depiction of Indra and his dancers, Silver Pagoda, Cambodian Royal Palace.

Cultural diplomacy edit

Under the Sangkum period, Cambodia underwent its cultural and artistic transformation spearheaded by prince (later, King) Norodom Sihanouk. Crowned in 1941 while the country was still a French Protectorate, he witnessed the World War II and subsequent collapse of French colonialism. While supporting neutrality of new post-colonial countries during the early Cold War period, he was aware that Cambodia was dependent on foreign aid. As a diplomatic design, he promoted symbols of the country's national culture that had entered the consciousness of people across the world: temples, and the ballet.[17]

After Cambodia's independence in 1953, Queen Sisowath Kossamak started revamping the ballet incorporating the tastes and inclinations of international audience. She commissioned new short dance pieces tailored especially for a diplomatic event. They were mostly extracted from long, traditional performances such as, Tep Monorom (Welcome Dance), Apsara, Chhun Por (Blessing Dance), Moni Mekhala and Ream Eyso. During these performances, western guests were provided a booklet to explain these in their respective languages.[17]

In 1959, Queen Sisowath Kossamak visited the United States to introduce Khmer national culture through exhibition performances of the Khmer-American Friendship Ballet, originally titled The Ballet of Khmer-American Friendship 1959.[18] The following year, the cultural ambassadorship programme continued in China under similar name, The Ballet of Khmer-Chinese Friendship 1960.[19] When the king visited France in 1964, the dance was performed for the first time at the Paris Opera after colonial independence.[20] Over the years, the ballet performances were important part of the itinerary for international head of states visiting the country. The list included, Indian prime minister Nehru, Indonesian president Sukarno, Yugoslavian president Tito, French president de Gaulle. Other famous figures included, Princess Margaret, and Jacqueline Kennedy.[17]

Norodom Buppha Devi, the granddaughter of the queen and daughter of King Norodom Sihanouk, was already elevated as the premier dancer of the ballet in 1958. When she turned eighteen in 1961, she was appointed the lead dancer for the roles of a princess. Thereby, she performed as several diplomatic events.[17]

Khmer Rouge edit

The dance tradition suffered setbacks during the Khmer Rouge regime, during which many dancers were put to death in the genocide.[unver. 2] 90 percent of all Cambodian classical artists perished between 1975 and 1979 due to execution, torture, starvation, and exhaustion.[11] After the Vietnamese ousted the Khmer Rouge in 1979, dancers gathered to collectively reconstruct the repertoire.[11] Those who survived wandered out from hiding, found one another, and formed "colonies" in order to revive their sacred traditions, under the leadership of former prima ballerina Voan Savay.[unver. 3]

Present time edit

Khmer classical dance training was resurrected in the refugee camps in eastern Thailand with the few surviving Khmer dancers. Many dances and dance dramas were also recreated at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Cambodia.

In 2003 it was inducted into the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

Teacher Salute Ceremony in Royal Ballet edit

Performed before the dance troupe enters the stage, the Teacher Salute Ceremony is a tribute to the teachers who trained them and is dedicated to the spirit that controls the spirit in each of the characters of the Royal Ballet, bidding them to ensure that their performances are smooth, confident and unobstructed. This ceremony originates from an ancient forerunner when the royal dance troupe had to offer blessings before they took the stage.[21][22][23]

The three groups of the Cambodia Royal Ballet edit

Four main types of roles exist in Khmer classical dance: neay rong (male), neang (female), yeak (rakshasa), and the sva (monkeys).[24] These four basic roles contain sub-classes to indicate character rank; a neay rong ek, for example, would be a leading male role and a neang kamnan (or philieng) would be a maiden-servant.[24] The sub-classes of the four main roles all perform in the same type of dancing style of the class they belong to. However, the yeakheney, or female Yeak, is performed with a feminized dancing style of the male counterpart. Other female character types, such as the apsara, kinnari, or mermaid, follow the same dancing style as the neang role but with subtle differences in gestures; the main difference being costume. The ngoh character type, although male, is presented with a different dancing style than the neay rong.

Most roles are performed by female dancers, but the role of monkeys was transferred to men under the guidance of Queen Sisowath Kosssamak. Other roles performed by men include hermits and animals such as horses and mythical lions.

The Cast edit

The cast is divided into two forms, Neang as the female character and Neay Rong as the male character, which is described as follows:

Neang Character Neang or Female Character
  Neang character represents a woman who is divided into eight categories:
  • Neang Ek (Khmer: នាងឯក) : the female lead, the female main character or one of the major characters in a play, film, novel, etc.

- usually has a pre-eminent position; deities, queens or princesses (e.g. Sita & Robam Moni Mekhala)

  • Neang Pi-Leang (Khmer: នាងភីលាង) : the female servants
  • Neang Komnan (Khmer: នាងកំណាន់) : the mistress(es), the extramarital affair(s)
  • Neang Mae (Khmer: នាងម៉ែ) : the mother
  • Neang Kinnorei (Khmer: នាងកិន្នរី Sanskrit: किन्नर?) : the Kinnari; a half bird, haft human mythological creature

- these mythical creatures live in Mount Hem Pean in (Khmer Language) means deep in the Forest Mountain Himalayas (e.g. Robam Kenorei)

Neay Rong Character Neay Rong or Male Character
  Neay Rong character represents a men who is divided into eleven categories:
  • Neay Rong Ek (Khmer: នាយរងឯក) : the male lead, the male main character or one of the major characters in a play, film, novel, etc.

- usually has a pre-eminent position; deities, kings, or princes (e.g. Rama)

  • Neay Rong Bav Preav (Khmer: នាយរងបាវប្រៀវ) : the male servants
  • Neay Rong Sena Ek (Khmer: នាយរងសេនាឯក) : the battalion commander or general
  • Neay Rong Pol Sena (Khmer: នាយរងពលសេនា) : the soldiers, imperial guards
  • Neay Rong Chao Ngoh (Khmer: នាយរង) : the character with memory problems and an undesirable appearance serve as a farce
  • Neay Rong Ovpuok (Khmer: នាយរងឪពុក) : the father
  • Neay Rong Moni Eisey (Khmer: នាយរងមោនីឥសី) : the wise sage/hermit, usually the male main character's master (teacher)
  • Neay Rong Krot (Khmer: នាយរងគ្រុឌ Sanskrit: गरुड़) : the Garuda; an avian mythological creature (e.g. Jatayu)
  • Neay Rong Yahk (Khmer: នាយរងយក្ស Sanskrit: राक्षस) : the Rakshasa; mostly serve as villains (e.g. Ravana)
  • Neay Rong Sva (Khmer: នាយរងស្វា) : the human-like ape mythological creatures (e.g. Hanuman)
  • Neay Rong Animal (Khmer: នាយរងសត្វ) : the divine animals serve as various secondary characters such as horses, deer, etc. (e.g., Puthisen's Talking Pegasus - Mony Keo)

Pin Peat musical band edit

ភ្លេងពិណពាទ្យ Pin Peat Musician
  Vong Phleng Pin Peat or Pin Peat Musician has 34 Tracks in the Royal Ballet, which are divided into two types. The first is the Mohoari Orchestra (Small drum style) and the second is the Royal Theatre (Big drum style)

The music used for Khmer classical dance is played by a pin peat ensemble. This type of orchestra consists of several types of xylophones, drums, oboes, gongs, and other musical instruments. The chorus consists of several singers who mainly sing in the absence of music. The lyrics are in poetry form and are sung interspersed with the grammatical particles EU [əː], Eung [əːŋ], and Ery [əːj] in various patterns.

Musical instruments edit

  • Roneat ek : The lead xylophone with bamboo or teak wood keys
  • Roneat thung : A xylophone with bamboo or teak wood keys; low
  • Roneat dek : A metallophone of brass keys
  • Roneat thong : A metallophone (now rarely used)
  • Kong thom : A set of 16 gongs arranged in a circle
  • Kong toch : Like the gongs above, but smaller
  • Chhing : A pair of finger cymbals
  • Krap : A pair of wood clappers (now rarely used)
  • Sralai : A type of shawm; there are two sizes
  • Khloy : A type of flute made from bamboo (now rarely used)
  • Skor thom : A pair of drums played with a percussion mallet
  • Sampho : A type of drum played with the hands

Music pieces edit

Khmer classical dance uses particular pieces of music for certain events, such as when a dancer enters or leaves a scene, or performs certain actions, such as flying or walking. These musical pieces are arranged to form a suite. New pieces of music are rarely created.

Below is a select list of music pieces used in the repertoire:

  • Sathukar : (សាធុការ) a song of blessing used for propitiation, often used to commence a performance
  • Krao nai : (ក្រៅណៃ), also known as santheuk knong (សន្ធឹកក្នុង), overture of the yeak (ogre) characters, a display of power as they go into combat or battle
  • Smaeu : (ស្មើ) used for the introduction of a character or a group of dancers in a scene
  • Lea : (លា) used to present a character's departure from the scene; leaving the stage
  • Cheut chhing : (ជើតឈិង) lit., euphonic chhing; music characterized by the constant percussion of drums and small cup-shaped cymbals;[unver. 4] used to present an action such as commencing a journey or flying
  • Lo : (លោ) music used in tune with aquatic recreation (e.g. dancers miming the action of rowing a boat)
  • Long song mon : (លងស៊ងមន) lit., "royal bathing of the Mon"; a song used to represent a character dressing up their appearance
  • Phya deun : (ផ្យាឌើន); also known as ponhea daeur (ពញ្ញាដើរ), a music piece used to present dancers marching (e.g. the beginning of robam tep monorom)
  • Klom : (ក្លុម) used to show the grace and beauty of a character wielding his weapon
  • Sinuon : (ស៊ីនួន) - lit., "cream color", in reference to complexion, a soft and slow feminine melody
  • Salamar : (សលមារ) - a music characterized by the sralai, often used for certain actions such as combat, but not limited to such
  • Preah Thong (ព្រះថោង)
  • Bao Lut (បោលុត)
  • Sarak Burong (សរៈប៊ុរង)
  • Balim (បលិម)

Singing group edit

ក្រុមចម្រៀង នៃរបាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ The Singing Group of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia
The singing group divided into three forms, women singing to Neang as female character and Men singing to Neay Rong as male character singing along the activities of the Royal Ballet, the third forms is a teams singer of the chorus of the song. all singer singing including with the Body language of the dancer of the Royal Ballet.

Performance edit

 
Princess Buppha Devi performs a propitiation dance (c. 1965) as a neang rong. Note the dancers of lower ranks (philieng) in obeisance.

During the era of the French Protectorate of Cambodia and before, it was customary for guests of the royal palace to receive a performance of the royal ballet.[12] In propitiation ceremonies (បួងសួង, buong suong), it was performed at Wat Phnom and the Silver Pagoda and Throne Hall of the Royal Palace.[unver. 5] For entertainment, performances were often staged inside the pavilions of royal palaces.[12]

In Phnom Penh, the Moonlight Pavilion was built for and is still used occasionally for classical dance performances. Nowadays, venues for performances by the Royal Ballet include the Chenla Theatre and the Chaktomuk Conference Hall, designed by architect Vann Molyvann during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era.[unver. 6] Tourist restaurants in Cambodia, notably in Siem Reap, also serve as venues for classical dance performances by amateur troupes.[unver. 7]

Today, some dancers are linked to government and work at the Royal University of Fine Arts and Secondary School of Fine Arts as teachers. Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (Cambodia)'s Department of Performing Arts also engage dancers to perform on state visits. Many dancers work in the tourism, art, and corporate sectors.[11]

Stage and props edit

The traditional stage for classical dance drama performances contains a table with a decorative pillow, sometimes laid on an Oriental rug or carpet.[unver. 8] This table of low stature, called a krae (គ្រែ, lit. "bed"), is constant throughout the performance and thus is used as a prop that represents many places and things (a bed, a throne, living quarters, etc.).[unver. 9]

In many dance dramas, characters often wield weapons such as bows, swords, staves, and clubs.[unver. 10] In some dances, dancers hold items such as flower garlands, fans, and gold and silver flowers as a tribute (see bunga mas).[unver. 11] Performances of robam makar (the makara dance) entail devas dancing in leisure and using fans to represent the scales of the mythical makara while the goddess Manimekhala leads the mimicry with her crystal ball of magic.[unver. 12]

Movement and gestures edit

Khmer classical dancers use stylized movements and gestures to convey meaning and tell a story. These gestures are often vague and abstract, though some may be easily understood. Dancers do not sing or generally speak, except in some dance dramas where there are brief instances of speech by the dancers.

Hand gestures in Khmer classical dance are called kbach (meaning "style"). These hand gestures form a sort of alphabet and represent various things from nature such as fruit, flowers and leaves. They are used in different combinations and transitions with accompanying movement of the legs and feet to convey different thoughts and concepts.[7] The way gestures are presented, the position of the arm, and the position of the hand relative to the arm can affect their meaning. Gestures are performed in different manners depending on the character type.

Costume edit

 
Apsara costume on a bas relief in Angkor Wat (12th century) and present-day dance attire

Classical dance costumes are highly ornate and heavily embroidered, sometimes including sequins and even semi-precious gems. Most of the costumes are thought to be representative of what divinities wear, as reflected in the art style of the post-Angkor period. Various pieces of the costume (such as shirts) have to be sewn onto the dancers for a tight fit.

Female costume edit

 
Present-day Khmer crown known as Mokut and one depicted in Beng Mealea, 12th century.

The typical female, or neang, costume consists of a sampot sarabap (or charabap), a type of woven fabric with two contrasting silk threads along with a metallic thread (gold or silver in color). The sampot is wrapped around the lower body in a sarong-like fashion, then pleated into a band in the front and secured with a gold or brass belt. In the current style, part of the pleated brocade band hangs over the belt on the left side of the belt buckle, which is a clear distinction from Thai classical dance costumes where this pleated band is tucked into the belt to the right of the belt buckle. Worn over the left shoulder is a shawl-like garment called a sbai (also known as the robang khnang, literally "back cover"); it is the most decorative part of the female costume, embroidered extensively with tiny beads and sequins. The usual embroidery pattern for the sbai these days is a diamond-shaped floral pattern, but in the past there were more variations of floral patterns. Under the sbai is a silk undershirt or bodice worn with a short sleeve exposed on the left arm. Around the neck is an embroidered collar called a srang kar.

Jewelry for the female role includes a large, filigree square pendant of which is hung by the corner, various types of ankle and wrists bracelets and bangles, an armlet on the right arm, and body chains of various styles.

Male costume edit

 
Male dancing figure on a lintel from Sambor Prei Kuk (7th century) and present-day Khmer rama costume

Male characters wear costumes that are more intricate than the females, as they require pieces, like sleeves, to be sewn together while being put on. They are dressed in a sampot sarabap like their female counterpart; however, it is worn differently. For the male, or neay rong, the sampot is worn in the chang kben fashion, where the front is pleated and pulled under, between the legs, then tucked in the back and the remaining length of the pleat is stitched to the sampot itself to form a draping 'fan' in the back. Knee-length pants are worn underneath, displaying a wide, embroidered hem around the knees. For the top, they wear long-sleeved shirts with rich embroidering, along with a collar, or srang kar, around their neck. On the end of their shoulders are a sort of epaulette that arches upwards like Indra's bow (known as inthanu). Other components of the male costumes are three richly embroidered banners worn around the front waist. The center piece is known as a robang muk while the two side pieces are known as a cheay kraeng; monkeys and yaksha characters wear another piece in the back called a robang kraoy.

 
Carving of a male figure wearing a crown from Bakong temple

Male characters also wear an X-like strap around the body called a sangvar; it may be made of gold-colored silk or chains of gold with square ornaments, the latter being reserved for more important characters. Males wear the same ankle and wrist jewelry as females, but with the addition of an extra set of bangles on the wrist and no armlets. They also wear a kite-shaped ornament called a sloek po (named after the bo tree leaf), which serves as a center point for their sangvar.

Headdress edit

 
Different types of Khmer crowns on bas reliefs in Angkor Wat 12th century

There are several types of crowns that denote characters' ranks. Commonly worn by female characters of the lowest rank is the kbang; it is also worn by Brahmin characters with ornaments around a bun of hair. Divinities and royal characters of the highest ranks wear a tall single-spire crown called a mokot ksat for male characters and a mokot ksatrey for female characters. The panchuret (Groslier romanizes this as panntiereth), reserved for princes and generals (sena), is a circlet-like crown with a faux knot in the back. The rat klao is worn by princesses and often by maidens of significance in a dance if they happen to not be of royal rank. Some characters' headdressings include ear ornaments as well as earrings. Characters such as the yahks and the monkeys wear masks. Yahks and monkeys of royal rank wear masks with a mokot attached.

Floral adornments edit

Dancers are traditionally adorned with fragrant flowers, although sometimes fresh flowers are substituted with faux flowers. The floral tassel is traditionally made of Jasminum sambac strung together with Michelia flowers, being either Michelia × alba or Michelia champaca. The neang (female) role wears a rose above the right ear and a floral tassel attached to the left side of the crown while the neay rong (male) role wears a rose on the left ear and a floral tassel to the right side. Sometimes, dancers will wear jasmine garlands fit for the wrists. The apsara role is most often adorned with the flowers of either Plumeria obtusa or white cultivars of Plumeria rubra; sometimes plumerias are tied along the back of their hair.

Repertoire edit

According to The Cambridge Guide to Asian Theatre (1997), the Royal Ballet's repertoire contained approximately 40 dances and 60 dance dramas. Since the restoration of the Royal Ballet in the 1979, some of the old repertoire was recreated and several new dances were also created, most notably robam monosanhchettana by the late Chea Samy. As of recent years, new dance dramas have been created by the Royal Ballet, such as Apsara Mera. Sophiline Cheam Shapiro has also introduced new repertory to Khmer classical dance, although they are not part of the traditional royal repertoire and mainly have been performed in Western venues. Her works include dramas such as Samritechak, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello and Pamina Devi, an adaptation of Mozart's The Magic Flute.

Dance dramas edit

The repertoire of dance dramas (រឿង, roeung) consists of a myriad of stories, unlike the lakhon khol, which is limited only to the Ramayana. Many of the dance dramas have analogs in the lakhon nai dance genre of Thailand but do not share the same choreography or exact storyline. During the time of Queen Kossamak, several dance dramas were re-choreographed and shortened such as Roeung Preah Thong-Neang Neak; this drama, among others, would be recreated in 2003.

The plots of many dance dramas often concern a male character who rescues a damsel in distress or destined love presented with obstacles. The traditional repertoire portrays mythology or traditional tales and may sometimes include religious concepts such as karma.

A dance of tribute used in a dance drama titled Preah Ket Mealea, circa 1965

Select repertory of dance dramas edit

  • Reamker (Ramakerti, រាមកេរ្តិ៍): Ramayana
  • Preah Sothon-Neang Monorea (ព្រះសូធន-នាងមនោហ៍រា): Sudhana-Jataka, formerly referred to as Kailas (កៃលាស), recreated in 2003
  • Krai Thong (ក្រៃថោង)
  • Inao (ឥណាវ): Panji
  • Kakey (កាកី): Kakati-Jataka
  • Preah Anoruth-Neang Usa (ព្រះអនុរុទ្ធ-នាងឧសា): Aniruddha
  • Sopheak Leak (សុភលក្ខណ៍): Chitralekha
  • Preah Samot (ព្រះសមុទ្រ)
  • Sovannahong (សុវណ្ណហង្ស)
  • Preah Sang (ព្រះស័ង្ខ)

Dances edit

In contrast to the dance dramas are shorter dances known as robam. They can serve several purposes, such as honoring, ritualistic functions (e.g. securing the kingdom's fortune and prosperity), and blessing. Spanning several minutes or so, not all these dances have storylines, although many robam are indeed excerpts from dance dramas such as robam mekhala-reamso and robam sovan macchha (the latter being from the Reamker).

The 'apsara dance' of today was created under the guidance of Queen Kossamak Nearireath. Its costume is based on the bas-relief of apsaras on temple ruins but much of it, including its music and gesture, is not unique from other classical Khmer dances that probably do not date back to the Angkor period.

Select repertory of dances edit

  • Robam Apsara (របាំអប្សរា)
  • Robam Tep Monorom (របាំទេពមនោរម្យ)
  • Robam Chun Por (របាំជូនពរ)
  • Robam Makar (របាំមករ)
  • Robam Sovann Maccha (របាំសុវណ្ណមច្ឆា)
  • Robam Moni Mekhala or Mekhala-Reamesor (របាំមណីមេខលា)

Glossary edit

kbach (ក្បាច)
(lit., "style" or "motif") referring to a pose or gesture used in Khmer classical dance
lakhon (ល្ខោន)
(lit., "theatre"; also romanized as lakhaon and lkhaon), referring to different genres of theatrical performances
lakhon preah reach trop (ល្ខោនព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ)
(lit., "theatre of royal wealth") the Khmer name for the main classical dance drama of Cambodia; the royal ballet of Cambodia, in this case, the term lakhon may be substituted with robam
robam (របាំ)
(lit., "dance"), a term used to refer to dances and in some contexts, all classical dances
robam kbach boran (របាំក្បាច់បូរាណ)
(lit., "dance of the ancient style") a term referring to classical dance that is used in the genres of theatre including lakhon khol, lakhon pol srey, and lakhon preah reach trop. Not to be confused with the term devised in the Lon Nol era.
roeung (រៀង)
(lit., "story"); referring to dance dramas
yeak (យក្ខ)
yaksha; a class of characters representing asuras and ogres, commonly translated as "giants"

Media edit

Gallery edit

External images
  Two dancers perform as a garuda and kinnari couple. (1928)
  A pair of dancers sit on a krae. (1931)
  Ravana with Sita in his captive. (1928)
  A dancer sits on the krae above two servants. (1928)
  A dance of propitiation depicting the sea goddess Manimekhala. (2006)
  Dancers perform for King Sihamoni's coronation. (2004)

Non-fiction edit

  • Cravath, Paul (2008). Earth in Flower - The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama, DatAsia Press
  • Groslier, George et al. (2011). Cambodian Dancers - Ancient and Modern, DatAsia Press
  • Heywood, Denise (2009). Cambodian Dance Celebration of the Gods, River Books
  • Loviny, Christophe (2003). The Apsaras of Angkor, Sipar: Jazz Editions

Fiction edit

  • Meyer, Charles (2009). Saramani: Cambodian Dance, DatAsia Press
  • Lee, Jeanne M. (1994). Silent Lotus, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Lord, Michael (2006). Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin, Lee & Low Books

Selected discography edit

  • Musical Sources – Royal Music Of Cambodia (1971) by Jacques Brunet; contains a condensed recording of the Buong Suong dance drama featuring the goddess Manimekhala
  • Homrong: Classical Music From Cambodia (2004) by Chum Ngek; contains music pieces and suites used by the royal ballet

See also edit

References edit

Bibliography edit

  • Banham, Martin (1995). The Cambridge Guide to Theater, Cambridge University Press
  • Becker, Elizabeth (1998). When the War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution, PublicAffairs
  • Bois, George (1913). Les Danseuses cambodgiennes en France, Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient
  • Bowers, Faubion. (1956). Theatre in the East, New York T. Nelson
  • Brandon, James R. (1967). Theatre in Southeast Asia. Harvard University Press
  • Cravath, Paul (1968). The Ritual Origins of the Classical Dance Drama of Cambodia, Asian Theatre Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Autumn, 1986), pp. 179–203
  • Fletcher, Peter (2001). World Musics in Context: A Comprehensive Survey of the World's Major Musical Cultures, Oxford University
  • Jacobsen, Trudy (2008). Lost Goddesses: Denial of Female Power in Cambodian History, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies
  • Sasagawa, Hideo (2005). , Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 42, No. 4, March 2005
  • Falser, Michael (2013). From a colonial reinvention to postcolonial heritage and a global commodity: performing and re-enacting Angkor Wat and the Royal Khmer Ballet, International Journal of Heritage Studies, May 2013

Notes edit

Notes in this section are referenced from the bibliography above.

  1. ^ a b c d e UNESCO: Royal ballet of Cambodia - Intangible Heritage
  2. ^ Banham 1995, p. 154, "performers were wives, concubines, and relatives of the ruler"
  3. ^ Brandon 1967, p. 59 "Cambodian court dance"
  4. ^ Cravath 1968 mentions a variation: "Royal Cambodian Ballet".
  5. ^ Brandon 1967 mentions "Royal Cambodian Ballet".
  6. ^ Cravath; romanized as lakhon lueng ("the king's dancers")
  7. ^ a b c d e f Fletcher 2001, p. 306
  8. ^ Sasagawa 2005, p. 437
  9. ^ Brandon 1967, p. 20
  10. ^ Becker 1998, p. 330
  11. ^ a b c d Rogers, Amanda (2020). "Transforming the national body: choreopolitics and disability in contemporary Cambodian dance". Cultural Geographies. 27 (4): 527–543. Bibcode:2020CuGeo..27..527R. doi:10.1177/1474474019892000. ISSN 1474-4740. S2CID 213746487.
  12. ^ a b c Jacobsen, p. 156
  13. ^ a b Auguste Rodin (1906). Rodin and the Cambodian Dancers: His Final Passion. Éditions du musée Rodin, 2006. p. 179. ISBN 2901428959.
  14. ^ Trudy Jacobsen (2008). Lost Goddesses: The Denial of Female Power in Cambodian History Issue 4 of Gendering Asia. NIAS Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-8776940010.
  15. ^ "RODIN ET LES DANSEUSES CAMBODGIENNES". musee-rodin.fr. DU 16 JUIN AU 17 SEPTEMBRE 2006.
  16. ^ Sasagawa 2005
  17. ^ a b c d Nut, Suppya Hélène; Ly, Boreth (2020). "Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (1943–2019): A Life in Dance". Asian Theatre Journal. 37 (2): 311–327. doi:10.1353/atj.2020.0031. ISSN 1527-2109. S2CID 243049795.
  18. ^ Stedelijk Studies Journal National Archives Box 311.
  19. ^ Toni Shapiro (1994). Dance and the Spirit of Cambodia. Cornell University, 2008 the University of Michigan. p. 470. ISBN 978-0804845168.
  20. ^ Falser, Michael S. (2014-11-17). "From a colonial reinvention to postcolonial heritage and a global commodity: performing and re-enacting Angkor Wat and the Royal Khmer Ballet". International Journal of Heritage Studies. 20 (7–8): 702–723. doi:10.1080/13527258.2013.794746. ISSN 1352-7258. S2CID 161766914.
  21. ^ Martin Banham, James R. Brandon (1995). The Cambridge Guide to Theatreur. Cambridge University Press. p. 1233. ISBN 9780521434379.
  22. ^ Ceremony to pay homage to the Queen's dance teacher Sisowath Kossamak at the Chanchaya temple in the Royal Palace, 1957 Record by France
  23. ^ Khmer Classical Dance Radio France rfi.fr.kh 11.05.2018
  24. ^ a b Bois, p. 4
  25. ^ "Cambodia reorienting its methods of inventorying living heritage - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  26. ^ "Search within UNESCO ICH website - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2017-08-01.

Unverified notes edit

Notes in this section reference material produced by laymen or reference material not generally considered a legitimate source on the subject matter at hand. They are unverified and not peer-reviewed.

  1. ^ UNESCO mentions lakhaon preah reach troap, while it is also written as 'របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ' (robam preah reach trop) on websites of the government of Cambodia, including the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. For example, see:<. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-06-10.>
  2. ^ jumpcut.com Cambodian Royal Court Dancing. Retrieved July 21, 2007. [dead link]
  3. ^ Alliance for California Traditional Arts Classical Cambodian Dance Sophiline Cheam Shapiro and Socheata Heng. Retrieved July 21, 2007. July 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Robert K. Headley 1997, Cambodian-English Dictionary
  5. ^ This can be noted in vintage photographs and film. UNESCO's video presentation of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia depicts a modern-day propitiation ceremony at Wat Phnom.
  6. ^ These venues have been mentioned on news reels on Cambodian news programs. See this article for an example: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011031447331/Lifestyle/discover-classic-dance-outdoors-by-chaktomuk.html
  7. ^ This can be seen in many photographs posted on Flickr and videos on Youtube. Restaurants include 'Jasmine Angkor' and 'Koulen'. Canby Publications has a section on this at <http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/srothersr.htm#PerformSR>.
  8. ^ As seen in this photograph: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/13476480@N07/5374895656/> and as depicted in other photographs and video.
  9. ^ Cravath romanizes this term as kré. In this photo of the Reamker File:Cambodian dance Reamker.png, parts of the krae can be seen behind the main group of dancers.
  10. ^ This is notable in many media provided by laymen online as well as photos provided in this article. See http://www.jiras.se/preahsamuth/index.html, which shows the dance drama Preah Samut and characters wielding bows and staves.
  11. ^ See [File:Cambodian_Classical_Dance_of_Tribute.ogv] as an example where dancers hold gold flowers as a tribute.
  12. ^ As seen in the Khmer classical dance video posted on this webpage: <http://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/dance/dance-spirit-cambodia> and many others.

External links edit

General information edit

  • NY Times | Auguste Rodin and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia
  • Khmer Arts | Founded by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro

Image galleries edit

  • Anders Jiras | Photography of Cambodian dance performances

royal, ballet, cambodia, khmer, classical, dance, redirects, here, similar, genera, performing, arts, lakhon, khol, lkhon, srey, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, m. Khmer classical dance redirects here For similar genera of performing arts see Lakhon Khol and Lkhon pol srey This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages The neutrality of this article is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article contains content that is written like an advertisement Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message The Royal Ballet of Cambodia Khmer រប ព រ រ ជទ រព យ Robam Preah Reach Trop lit Dance of Royal Wealth is a classical Khmer dance renowned for its graceful hand movements and luxurious costumes The ballet has been closely associated with the Khmer court for over a thousand years and would traditionally accompany various royal ceremonies including coronations weddings funerals and Khmer holidays The ballet s repertoire encompasses various ancient Khmer legends 1 Royal Ballet of Cambodia រប ព រ រ ជទ រព យUNESCO Intangible Cultural HeritageCambodia Royal BalletCountryCambodiaDomainsPerforming artsReference553RegionAsia and the PacificInscription historyInscription7 November 2003 18th session ListInscribed in 2008 3 COM on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity originally proclaimed in 2003 This article contains Khmer text Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Khmer script Despite facing significant challenges including near extinction during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s the Royal Ballet of Cambodia remains an important cultural heritage of Cambodia With its sacred and symbolic significance the dance embodies traditional values of refinement respect and spirituality of the Khmer people 1 Since 2003 it has been inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists 1 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Angkor and pre Angkor era 2 2 French colonial era 2 3 Post independent Cambodia 2 3 1 Cultural diplomacy 2 3 2 Khmer Rouge 2 3 3 Present time 3 Teacher Salute Ceremony in Royal Ballet 4 The three groups of the Cambodia Royal Ballet 4 1 The Cast 4 2 Pin Peat musical band 4 2 1 Musical instruments 4 3 Music pieces 4 4 Singing group 5 Performance 5 1 Stage and props 6 Movement and gestures 7 Costume 7 1 Female costume 7 2 Male costume 7 3 Headdress 7 4 Floral adornments 8 Repertoire 8 1 Dance dramas 8 1 1 Select repertory of dance dramas 8 2 Dances 8 2 1 Select repertory of dances 9 Glossary 10 Media 10 1 Gallery 10 2 Non fiction 10 3 Fiction 10 4 Selected discography 11 See also 12 References 12 1 Bibliography 12 2 Notes 12 3 Unverified notes 13 External links 13 1 General information 13 2 Image galleriesEtymology editWestern names for this dance tradition such as Cambodian court dance often make reference to the royal court as the tradition was performed and maintained by attendants of the royal palaces 2 3 As a performing art it is formally referred to as the Royal Ballet of Cambodia le Ballet royal du Cambodge in French by UNESCO Cravath Brandon and others in the academic field 1 4 5 although this term may also refer to the National Dance Company of Cambodia The term Khmer classical dance is also used alongside Royal Ballet of Cambodia in publications by UNESCO and the above mentioned authors 1 In Khmer it is formally known as Robam Preah Reach Trop រប ព រ រ ជទ រព យ lit dances of royal wealth or Lakhon Preah Reach Trop ល ខ នព រ រ ជទ រព យ lit theatre of royal wealth unver 1 It is also referred to as Lakhon Luong ល ខ នហ ល ង lit the king s theatre 6 7 During the Lon Nol regime of Cambodia the dance tradition was referred to as Lakhon Kbach Boran Khmer ល ខ នក ប ច ប រ ណខ ម រ lit Khmer theatre of the ancient style a term alienating it from its royal legacy 7 8 Khmer classical dancers as a whole are frequently referred to as apsara dancers by laymen this usage would be incorrect with the modern form of the dance as the apsara is just one type of character among others in the repertoire Regardless the tradition s romanticized affiliation with the apsaras and devatas of the ruins of Angkor still persists History editAngkor and pre Angkor era edit nbsp Dancing figures on a bas relief in Angkor showing traditional Khmer dance gestures 12th century nbsp Colorized bas relief showing a dancing figure in Angkor Wat 12th century One of the earliest records of dance in Cambodia is from the 7th century where performances were used as a funeral rite for kings 9 During the Angkor period dance was ritually performed at temples 7 The temple dancers came to be considered as apsaras who served as entertainers and messengers to divinities 10 Ancient stone inscriptions describe thousands of apsara dancers assigned to temples and performing divine rites as well as for the public 7 The tradition of temple dancers declined during the 15th century as the Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya raided Angkor When Angkor fell its artisans Brahmins and dancers were taken captive to Ayutthaya 7 French colonial era edit nbsp Royal dance troupe of King Sisowath early 1900s Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1863 Since then dancers began performing for foreign dignitaries and for the public on the monarch s birthday Dance was thereby promoted as national identity 11 Dancers of the court of King Sisowath were exhibited at the 1906 Colonial Exposition in Marseilles at the suggestion of George Bois a French representative in the Cambodian court 12 Auguste Rodin was captivated by the Cambodian dancers and created at least 150 watercolour paintings of the dancers 13 He followed the Khmer ballet dancers from Paris to Marseille with their return to Phnom Penh 14 Rodin interpreted the performance as ballet dance 13 15 nbsp Auguste Rodin Painting Cambodia Classical Dance 1906 Post independent Cambodia editQueen Sisowath Kossamak became a patron of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia Under the Queen s guidance several reforms were made to the royal ballet including choreography Dance dramas were dramatically shortened from all night spectacles to about one hour in length 16 Prince Norodom Sihanouk featured the dances of the royal ballet in his films Though the Royal Ballet originally had no men due to the perception that male dancers did not perform with the refinement of women contemporary performances include men in livelier roles such as a monkey and Moni Ey Sey nbsp A mural depiction of Indra and his dancers Silver Pagoda Cambodian Royal Palace Cultural diplomacy edit Under the Sangkum period Cambodia underwent its cultural and artistic transformation spearheaded by prince later King Norodom Sihanouk Crowned in 1941 while the country was still a French Protectorate he witnessed the World War II and subsequent collapse of French colonialism While supporting neutrality of new post colonial countries during the early Cold War period he was aware that Cambodia was dependent on foreign aid As a diplomatic design he promoted symbols of the country s national culture that had entered the consciousness of people across the world temples and the ballet 17 After Cambodia s independence in 1953 Queen Sisowath Kossamak started revamping the ballet incorporating the tastes and inclinations of international audience She commissioned new short dance pieces tailored especially for a diplomatic event They were mostly extracted from long traditional performances such as Tep Monorom Welcome Dance Apsara Chhun Por Blessing Dance Moni Mekhala and Ream Eyso During these performances western guests were provided a booklet to explain these in their respective languages 17 In 1959 Queen Sisowath Kossamak visited the United States to introduce Khmer national culture through exhibition performances of the Khmer American Friendship Ballet originally titled The Ballet of Khmer American Friendship 1959 18 The following year the cultural ambassadorship programme continued in China under similar name The Ballet of Khmer Chinese Friendship 1960 19 When the king visited France in 1964 the dance was performed for the first time at the Paris Opera after colonial independence 20 Over the years the ballet performances were important part of the itinerary for international head of states visiting the country The list included Indian prime minister Nehru Indonesian president Sukarno Yugoslavian president Tito French president de Gaulle Other famous figures included Princess Margaret and Jacqueline Kennedy 17 Norodom Buppha Devi the granddaughter of the queen and daughter of King Norodom Sihanouk was already elevated as the premier dancer of the ballet in 1958 When she turned eighteen in 1961 she was appointed the lead dancer for the roles of a princess Thereby she performed as several diplomatic events 17 Khmer Rouge edit The dance tradition suffered setbacks during the Khmer Rouge regime during which many dancers were put to death in the genocide unver 2 90 percent of all Cambodian classical artists perished between 1975 and 1979 due to execution torture starvation and exhaustion 11 After the Vietnamese ousted the Khmer Rouge in 1979 dancers gathered to collectively reconstruct the repertoire 11 Those who survived wandered out from hiding found one another and formed colonies in order to revive their sacred traditions under the leadership of former prima ballerina Voan Savay unver 3 Present time edit Khmer classical dance training was resurrected in the refugee camps in eastern Thailand with the few surviving Khmer dancers Many dances and dance dramas were also recreated at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Cambodia In 2003 it was inducted into the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists Teacher Salute Ceremony in Royal Ballet editPerformed before the dance troupe enters the stage the Teacher Salute Ceremony is a tribute to the teachers who trained them and is dedicated to the spirit that controls the spirit in each of the characters of the Royal Ballet bidding them to ensure that their performances are smooth confident and unobstructed This ceremony originates from an ancient forerunner when the royal dance troupe had to offer blessings before they took the stage 21 22 23 The three groups of the Cambodia Royal Ballet editFour main types of roles exist in Khmer classical dance neay rong male neang female yeak rakshasa and the sva monkeys 24 These four basic roles contain sub classes to indicate character rank a neay rong ek for example would be a leading male role and a neang kamnan or philieng would be a maiden servant 24 The sub classes of the four main roles all perform in the same type of dancing style of the class they belong to However the yeakheney or female Yeak is performed with a feminized dancing style of the male counterpart Other female character types such as the apsara kinnari or mermaid follow the same dancing style as the neang role but with subtle differences in gestures the main difference being costume The ngoh character type although male is presented with a different dancing style than the neay rong Most roles are performed by female dancers but the role of monkeys was transferred to men under the guidance of Queen Sisowath Kosssamak Other roles performed by men include hermits and animals such as horses and mythical lions The Cast edit The cast is divided into two forms Neang as the female character and Neay Rong as the male character which is described as follows Neang Character Neang or Female Character nbsp Neang character represents a woman who is divided into eight categories Neang Ek Khmer ន ងឯក the female lead the female main character or one of the major characters in a play film novel etc usually has a pre eminent position deities queens or princesses e g Sita amp Robam Moni Mekhala Neang Pi Leang Khmer ន ងភ ល ង the female servants Neang Komnan Khmer ន ងក ណ ន the mistress es the extramarital affair s Neang Mae Khmer ន ងម the mother Neang Kinnorei Khmer ន ងក ន នរ Sanskrit क न नर the Kinnari a half bird haft human mythological creature these mythical creatures live in Mount Hem Pean in Khmer Language means deep in the Forest Mountain Himalayas e g Robam Kenorei Neang Neak Khmer ន ងន គ Sanskrit न ग the Naga a half serpent haft human mythological creature Neang Yahkhenei Khmer ន ងយក ខ ន Sanskrit र क षस the Rakshasi mostly serve as villainesses e g Surpanakha Neang Sovannmacha Khmer ស វណ ណមច ឆ Sanskrit स वर णमत स य Suvannamaccha the mermaid matsya Sanskrit मत स य princess Hanuman Spouse Macchanu son Ravana father Neay Rong Character Neay Rong or Male Character nbsp Neay Rong character represents a men who is divided into eleven categories Neay Rong Ek Khmer ន យរងឯក the male lead the male main character or one of the major characters in a play film novel etc usually has a pre eminent position deities kings or princes e g Rama Neay Rong Bav Preav Khmer ន យរងប វប រ វ the male servants Neay Rong Sena Ek Khmer ន យរងស ន ឯក the battalion commander or general Neay Rong Pol Sena Khmer ន យរងពលស ន the soldiers imperial guards Neay Rong Chao Ngoh Khmer ន យរង the character with memory problems and an undesirable appearance serve as a farce Neay Rong Ovpuok Khmer ន យរងឪព ក the father Neay Rong Moni Eisey Khmer ន យរងម ន ឥស the wise sage hermit usually the male main character s master teacher Neay Rong Krot Khmer ន យរងគ រ ឌ Sanskrit गर ड the Garuda an avian mythological creature e g Jatayu Neay Rong Yahk Khmer ន យរងយក ស Sanskrit र क षस the Rakshasa mostly serve as villains e g Ravana Neay Rong Sva Khmer ន យរងស វ the human like ape mythological creatures e g Hanuman Neay Rong Animal Khmer ន យរងសត វ the divine animals serve as various secondary characters such as horses deer etc e g Puthisen s Talking Pegasus Mony Keo Pin Peat musical band edit ភ ល ងព ណព ទ យ Pin Peat Musician nbsp Vong Phleng Pin Peat or Pin Peat Musician has 34 Tracks in the Royal Ballet which are divided into two types The first is the Mohoari Orchestra Small drum style and the second is the Royal Theatre Big drum style Main article Pinpeat nbsp Krai Thong source source A song from a scene in the dance drama Krai Thong Problems playing this file See media help The music used for Khmer classical dance is played by a pin peat ensemble This type of orchestra consists of several types of xylophones drums oboes gongs and other musical instruments The chorus consists of several singers who mainly sing in the absence of music The lyrics are in poetry form and are sung interspersed with the grammatical particles EU eː Eung eːŋ and Ery eːj in various patterns Musical instruments edit Roneat ek The lead xylophone with bamboo or teak wood keys Roneat thung A xylophone with bamboo or teak wood keys low Roneat dek A metallophone of brass keys Roneat thong A metallophone now rarely used Kong thom A set of 16 gongs arranged in a circle Kong toch Like the gongs above but smaller Chhing A pair of finger cymbals Krap A pair of wood clappers now rarely used Sralai A type of shawm there are two sizes Khloy A type of flute made from bamboo now rarely used Skor thom A pair of drums played with a percussion mallet Sampho A type of drum played with the hands Music pieces edit Khmer classical dance uses particular pieces of music for certain events such as when a dancer enters or leaves a scene or performs certain actions such as flying or walking These musical pieces are arranged to form a suite New pieces of music are rarely created Below is a select list of music pieces used in the repertoire Sathukar ស ធ ក រ a song of blessing used for propitiation often used to commence a performance Krao nai ក រ ណ also known as santheuk knong សន ធ កក ន ង overture of the yeak ogre characters a display of power as they go into combat or battle Smaeu ស ម used for the introduction of a character or a group of dancers in a scene Lea ល used to present a character s departure from the scene leaving the stage Cheut chhing ជ តឈ ង lit euphonic chhing music characterized by the constant percussion of drums and small cup shaped cymbals unver 4 used to present an action such as commencing a journey or flying Lo ល music used in tune with aquatic recreation e g dancers miming the action of rowing a boat Long song mon លងស ងមន lit royal bathing of the Mon a song used to represent a character dressing up their appearance Phya deun ផ យ ឌ ន also known as ponhea daeur ពញ ញ ដ រ a music piece used to present dancers marching e g the beginning of robam tep monorom Klom ក ល ម used to show the grace and beauty of a character wielding his weapon Sinuon ស ន ន lit cream color in reference to complexion a soft and slow feminine melody Salamar សលម រ a music characterized by the sralai often used for certain actions such as combat but not limited to such Preah Thong ព រ ថ ង Bao Lut ប ល ត Sarak Burong សរ ប រង Balim បល ម Singing group edit ក រ មចម រ ង ន រប ព រ រ ជទ រព យ The Singing Group of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia The singing group divided into three forms women singing to Neang as female character and Men singing to Neay Rong as male character singing along the activities of the Royal Ballet the third forms is a teams singer of the chorus of the song all singer singing including with the Body language of the dancer of the Royal Ballet Performance edit nbsp Princess Buppha Devi performs a propitiation dance c 1965 as a neang rong Note the dancers of lower ranks philieng in obeisance During the era of the French Protectorate of Cambodia and before it was customary for guests of the royal palace to receive a performance of the royal ballet 12 In propitiation ceremonies ប ងស ង buong suong it was performed at Wat Phnom and the Silver Pagoda and Throne Hall of the Royal Palace unver 5 For entertainment performances were often staged inside the pavilions of royal palaces 12 In Phnom Penh the Moonlight Pavilion was built for and is still used occasionally for classical dance performances Nowadays venues for performances by the Royal Ballet include the Chenla Theatre and the Chaktomuk Conference Hall designed by architect Vann Molyvann during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era unver 6 Tourist restaurants in Cambodia notably in Siem Reap also serve as venues for classical dance performances by amateur troupes unver 7 Today some dancers are linked to government and work at the Royal University of Fine Arts and Secondary School of Fine Arts as teachers Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts Cambodia s Department of Performing Arts also engage dancers to perform on state visits Many dancers work in the tourism art and corporate sectors 11 Stage and props edit The traditional stage for classical dance drama performances contains a table with a decorative pillow sometimes laid on an Oriental rug or carpet unver 8 This table of low stature called a krae គ រ lit bed is constant throughout the performance and thus is used as a prop that represents many places and things a bed a throne living quarters etc unver 9 In many dance dramas characters often wield weapons such as bows swords staves and clubs unver 10 In some dances dancers hold items such as flower garlands fans and gold and silver flowers as a tribute see bunga mas unver 11 Performances of robam makar the makara dance entail devas dancing in leisure and using fans to represent the scales of the mythical makara while the goddess Manimekhala leads the mimicry with her crystal ball of magic unver 12 Movement and gestures editKhmer classical dancers use stylized movements and gestures to convey meaning and tell a story These gestures are often vague and abstract though some may be easily understood Dancers do not sing or generally speak except in some dance dramas where there are brief instances of speech by the dancers Hand gestures in Khmer classical dance are called kbach meaning style These hand gestures form a sort of alphabet and represent various things from nature such as fruit flowers and leaves They are used in different combinations and transitions with accompanying movement of the legs and feet to convey different thoughts and concepts 7 The way gestures are presented the position of the arm and the position of the hand relative to the arm can affect their meaning Gestures are performed in different manners depending on the character type Costume edit nbsp Apsara costume on a bas relief in Angkor Wat 12th century and present day dance attire Classical dance costumes are highly ornate and heavily embroidered sometimes including sequins and even semi precious gems Most of the costumes are thought to be representative of what divinities wear as reflected in the art style of the post Angkor period Various pieces of the costume such as shirts have to be sewn onto the dancers for a tight fit Female costume edit nbsp Present day Khmer crown known as Mokut and one depicted in Beng Mealea 12th century The typical female or neang costume consists of a sampot sarabap or charabap a type of woven fabric with two contrasting silk threads along with a metallic thread gold or silver in color The sampot is wrapped around the lower body in a sarong like fashion then pleated into a band in the front and secured with a gold or brass belt In the current style part of the pleated brocade band hangs over the belt on the left side of the belt buckle which is a clear distinction from Thai classical dance costumes where this pleated band is tucked into the belt to the right of the belt buckle Worn over the left shoulder is a shawl like garment called a sbai also known as the robang khnang literally back cover it is the most decorative part of the female costume embroidered extensively with tiny beads and sequins The usual embroidery pattern for the sbai these days is a diamond shaped floral pattern but in the past there were more variations of floral patterns Under the sbai is a silk undershirt or bodice worn with a short sleeve exposed on the left arm Around the neck is an embroidered collar called a srang kar Jewelry for the female role includes a large filigree square pendant of which is hung by the corner various types of ankle and wrists bracelets and bangles an armlet on the right arm and body chains of various styles Male costume edit nbsp Male dancing figure on a lintel from Sambor Prei Kuk 7th century and present day Khmer rama costume Male characters wear costumes that are more intricate than the females as they require pieces like sleeves to be sewn together while being put on They are dressed in a sampot sarabap like their female counterpart however it is worn differently For the male or neay rong the sampot is worn in the chang kben fashion where the front is pleated and pulled under between the legs then tucked in the back and the remaining length of the pleat is stitched to the sampot itself to form a draping fan in the back Knee length pants are worn underneath displaying a wide embroidered hem around the knees For the top they wear long sleeved shirts with rich embroidering along with a collar or srang kar around their neck On the end of their shoulders are a sort of epaulette that arches upwards like Indra s bow known as inthanu Other components of the male costumes are three richly embroidered banners worn around the front waist The center piece is known as a robang muk while the two side pieces are known as a cheay kraeng monkeys and yaksha characters wear another piece in the back called a robang kraoy nbsp Carving of a male figure wearing a crown from Bakong temple Male characters also wear an X like strap around the body called a sangvar it may be made of gold colored silk or chains of gold with square ornaments the latter being reserved for more important characters Males wear the same ankle and wrist jewelry as females but with the addition of an extra set of bangles on the wrist and no armlets They also wear a kite shaped ornament called a sloek po named after the bo tree leaf which serves as a center point for their sangvar Headdress edit nbsp Different types of Khmer crowns on bas reliefs in Angkor Wat 12th century There are several types of crowns that denote characters ranks Commonly worn by female characters of the lowest rank is the kbang it is also worn by Brahmin characters with ornaments around a bun of hair Divinities and royal characters of the highest ranks wear a tall single spire crown called a mokot ksat for male characters and a mokot ksatrey for female characters The panchuret Groslier romanizes this as panntiereth reserved for princes and generals sena is a circlet like crown with a faux knot in the back The rat klao is worn by princesses and often by maidens of significance in a dance if they happen to not be of royal rank Some characters headdressings include ear ornaments as well as earrings Characters such as the yahks and the monkeys wear masks Yahks and monkeys of royal rank wear masks with a mokot attached Floral adornments edit Dancers are traditionally adorned with fragrant flowers although sometimes fresh flowers are substituted with faux flowers The floral tassel is traditionally made of Jasminum sambac strung together with Michelia flowers being either Michelia alba or Michelia champaca The neang female role wears a rose above the right ear and a floral tassel attached to the left side of the crown while the neay rong male role wears a rose on the left ear and a floral tassel to the right side Sometimes dancers will wear jasmine garlands fit for the wrists The apsara role is most often adorned with the flowers of either Plumeria obtusa or white cultivars of Plumeria rubra sometimes plumerias are tied along the back of their hair Repertoire editAccording to The Cambridge Guide to Asian Theatre 1997 the Royal Ballet s repertoire contained approximately 40 dances and 60 dance dramas Since the restoration of the Royal Ballet in the 1979 some of the old repertoire was recreated and several new dances were also created most notably robam monosanhchettana by the late Chea Samy As of recent years new dance dramas have been created by the Royal Ballet such as Apsara Mera Sophiline Cheam Shapiro has also introduced new repertory to Khmer classical dance although they are not part of the traditional royal repertoire and mainly have been performed in Western venues Her works include dramas such as Samritechak an adaptation of Shakespeare s Othello and Pamina Devi an adaptation of Mozart s The Magic Flute Dance dramas edit The repertoire of dance dramas រ ង roeung consists of a myriad of stories unlike the lakhon khol which is limited only to the Ramayana Many of the dance dramas have analogs in the lakhon nai dance genre of Thailand but do not share the same choreography or exact storyline During the time of Queen Kossamak several dance dramas were re choreographed and shortened such as Roeung Preah Thong Neang Neak this drama among others would be recreated in 2003 The plots of many dance dramas often concern a male character who rescues a damsel in distress or destined love presented with obstacles The traditional repertoire portrays mythology or traditional tales and may sometimes include religious concepts such as karma source source source source A dance of tribute used in a dance drama titled Preah Ket Mealea circa 1965 Select repertory of dance dramas edit Reamker Ramakerti រ មក រ ត Ramayana Preah Sothon Neang Monorea ព រ ស ធន ន ងមន ហ រ Sudhana Jataka formerly referred to as Kailas ក ល ស recreated in 2003 Krai Thong ក រ ថ ង Inao ឥណ វ Panji Kakey ក ក Kakati Jataka Preah Anoruth Neang Usa ព រ អន រ ទ ធ ន ងឧស Aniruddha Sopheak Leak ស ភលក ខណ Chitralekha Preah Samot ព រ សម ទ រ Sovannahong ស វណ ណហង ស Preah Sang ព រ ស ង ខ Dances edit In contrast to the dance dramas are shorter dances known as robam They can serve several purposes such as honoring ritualistic functions e g securing the kingdom s fortune and prosperity and blessing Spanning several minutes or so not all these dances have storylines although many robam are indeed excerpts from dance dramas such as robam mekhala reamso and robam sovan macchha the latter being from the Reamker The apsara dance of today was created under the guidance of Queen Kossamak Nearireath Its costume is based on the bas relief of apsaras on temple ruins but much of it including its music and gesture is not unique from other classical Khmer dances that probably do not date back to the Angkor period Select repertory of dances edit Robam Apsara រប អប សរ Robam Tep Monorom រប ទ ពមន រម យ Robam Chun Por រប ជ នពរ Robam Makar រប មករ Robam Sovann Maccha រប ស វណ ណមច ឆ Robam Moni Mekhala or Mekhala Reamesor រប មណ ម ខល Glossary editkbach ក ប ច lit style or motif referring to a pose or gesture used in Khmer classical dance lakhon ល ខ ន lit theatre also romanized as lakhaon and lkhaon referring to different genres of theatrical performances lakhon preah reach trop ល ខ នព រ រ ជទ រព យ lit theatre of royal wealth the Khmer name for the main classical dance drama of Cambodia the royal ballet of Cambodia in this case the term lakhon may be substituted with robam robam រប lit dance a term used to refer to dances and in some contexts all classical dances robam kbach boran រប ក ប ច ប រ ណ lit dance of the ancient style a term referring to classical dance that is used in the genres of theatre including lakhon khol lakhon pol srey and lakhon preah reach trop Not to be confused with the term devised in the Lon Nol era roeung រ ង lit story referring to dance dramas yeak យក ខ yaksha a class of characters representing asuras and ogres commonly translated as giants Media editGallery edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to wbr Khmer classical dance and wbr Royal Ballet of Cambodia nbsp Princess Buppha Devi performs a dance in Cambodian Royal Palace nbsp SIta and Ravana performs in a scene of Reamker dance drama External images nbsp Two dancers perform as a garuda and kinnari couple 1928 nbsp A pair of dancers sit on a krae 1931 nbsp Ravana with Sita in his captive 1928 nbsp A dancer sits on the krae above two servants 1928 nbsp A dance of propitiation depicting the sea goddess Manimekhala 2006 nbsp Dancers perform for King Sihamoni s coronation 2004 Non fiction edit Cravath Paul 2008 Earth in Flower The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama DatAsia Press Groslier George et al 2011 Cambodian Dancers Ancient and Modern DatAsia Press Heywood Denise 2009 Cambodian Dance Celebration of the Gods River Books Loviny Christophe 2003 The Apsaras of Angkor Sipar Jazz Editions Fiction edit Meyer Charles 2009 Saramani Cambodian Dance DatAsia Press Lee Jeanne M 1994 Silent Lotus Farrar Straus and Giroux Lord Michael 2006 Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin Lee amp Low Books Selected discography edit Musical Sources Royal Music Of Cambodia 1971 by Jacques Brunet contains a condensed recording of the Buong Suong dance drama featuring the goddess Manimekhala Homrong Classical Music From Cambodia 2004 by Chum Ngek contains music pieces and suites used by the royal balletSee also editTheatre of Cambodia Dance in Cambodia Robam Apsara Robam Moni Mekhala Robam Sovann Maccha Dance in Thailand Earth in Flower Khmer shadow theatre 25 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists 26 References editBibliography edit Banham Martin 1995 The Cambridge Guide to Theater Cambridge University Press Becker Elizabeth 1998 When the War Was Over Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution PublicAffairs Bois George 1913 Les Danseuses cambodgiennes en France Imprimerie d Extreme Orient Bowers Faubion 1956 Theatre in the East New York T Nelson Brandon James R 1967 Theatre in Southeast Asia Harvard University Press Cravath Paul 1968 The Ritual Origins of the Classical Dance Drama of Cambodia Asian Theatre Journal Vol 3 No 2 Autumn 1986 pp 179 203 Fletcher Peter 2001 World Musics in Context A Comprehensive Survey of the World s Major Musical Cultures Oxford University Jacobsen Trudy 2008 Lost Goddesses Denial of Female Power in Cambodian History Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Sasagawa Hideo 2005 Post colonial Discourses on the Cambodian Court Dance Southeast Asian Studies Vol 42 No 4 March 2005 Falser Michael 2013 From a colonial reinvention to postcolonial heritage and a global commodity performing and re enacting Angkor Wat and the Royal Khmer Ballet International Journal of Heritage Studies May 2013 Notes edit Notes in this section are referenced from the bibliography above a b c d e UNESCO Royal ballet of Cambodia Intangible Heritage Banham 1995 p 154 performers were wives concubines and relatives of the ruler Brandon 1967 p 59 Cambodian court dance Cravath 1968 mentions a variation Royal Cambodian Ballet Brandon 1967 mentions Royal Cambodian Ballet Cravath romanized as lakhon lueng the king s dancers a b c d e f Fletcher 2001 p 306 Sasagawa 2005 p 437 Brandon 1967 p 20 Becker 1998 p 330 a b c d Rogers Amanda 2020 Transforming the national body choreopolitics and disability in contemporary Cambodian dance Cultural Geographies 27 4 527 543 Bibcode 2020CuGeo 27 527R doi 10 1177 1474474019892000 ISSN 1474 4740 S2CID 213746487 a b c Jacobsen p 156 a b Auguste Rodin 1906 Rodin and the Cambodian Dancers His Final Passion Editions du musee Rodin 2006 p 179 ISBN 2901428959 Trudy Jacobsen 2008 Lost Goddesses The Denial of Female Power in Cambodian History Issue 4 of Gendering Asia NIAS Press p 179 ISBN 978 8776940010 RODIN ET LES DANSEUSES CAMBODGIENNES musee rodin fr DU 16 JUIN AU 17 SEPTEMBRE 2006 Sasagawa 2005 a b c d Nut Suppya Helene Ly Boreth 2020 Princess Norodom Buppha Devi 1943 2019 A Life in Dance Asian Theatre Journal 37 2 311 327 doi 10 1353 atj 2020 0031 ISSN 1527 2109 S2CID 243049795 Stedelijk Studies Journal National Archives Box 311 Toni Shapiro 1994 Dance and the Spirit of Cambodia Cornell University 2008 the University of Michigan p 470 ISBN 978 0804845168 Falser Michael S 2014 11 17 From a colonial reinvention to postcolonial heritage and a global commodity performing and re enacting Angkor Wat and the Royal Khmer Ballet International Journal of Heritage Studies 20 7 8 702 723 doi 10 1080 13527258 2013 794746 ISSN 1352 7258 S2CID 161766914 Martin Banham James R Brandon 1995 The Cambridge Guide to Theatreur Cambridge University Press p 1233 ISBN 9780521434379 Ceremony to pay homage to the Queen s dance teacher Sisowath Kossamak at the Chanchaya temple in the Royal Palace 1957 Record by France Khmer Classical Dance Radio France rfi fr kh 11 05 2018 a b Bois p 4 Cambodia reorienting its methods of inventorying living heritage intangible heritage Culture Sector UNESCO ich unesco org Retrieved 2017 08 01 Search within UNESCO ICH website intangible heritage Culture Sector UNESCO ich unesco org Retrieved 2017 08 01 Unverified notes edit Notes in this section reference material produced by laymen or reference material not generally considered a legitimate source on the subject matter at hand They are unverified and not peer reviewed UNESCO mentions lakhaon preah reach troap while it is also written as រប ព រ រ ជទ រព យ robam preah reach trop on websites of the government of Cambodia including the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts For example see lt រប ព រ រ ជទ រព យ Archived from the original on 2011 09 28 Retrieved 2011 06 10 gt jumpcut com Cambodian Royal Court Dancing Retrieved July 21 2007 dead link Alliance for California Traditional Arts Classical Cambodian Dance Sophiline Cheam Shapiro and Socheata Heng Retrieved July 21 2007 Archived July 8 2007 at the Wayback Machine Robert K Headley 1997 Cambodian English Dictionary This can be noted in vintage photographs and film UNESCO s video presentation of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia depicts a modern day propitiation ceremony at Wat Phnom These venues have been mentioned on news reels on Cambodian news programs See this article for an example http www phnompenhpost com index php 2011031447331 Lifestyle discover classic dance outdoors by chaktomuk html This can be seen in many photographs posted on Flickr and videos on Youtube Restaurants include Jasmine Angkor and Koulen Canby Publications has a section on this at lt http www canbypublications com siemreap srothersr htm PerformSR gt As seen in this photograph lt https www flickr com photos 13476480 N07 5374895656 gt and as depicted in other photographs and video Cravath romanizes this term as kre In this photo of the Reamker File Cambodian dance Reamker png parts of the krae can be seen behind the main group of dancers This is notable in many media provided by laymen online as well as photos provided in this article See http www jiras se preahsamuth index html which shows the dance drama Preah Samut and characters wielding bows and staves See File Cambodian Classical Dance of Tribute ogv as an example where dancers hold gold flowers as a tribute As seen in the Khmer classical dance video posted on this webpage lt http danceinteractive jacobspillow org dance dance spirit cambodia gt and many others External links editGeneral information edit Cambodian Classical Dance by Chamroeun Yin Nginn Karet Foundation Teaches Sacred Dance at Banteay Srey The Language of Khmer Classical Dance The Cambodia Daily The Near Extinction of Cambodian Classical Dance UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies The Khmer Dance Project NY Times Auguste Rodin and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia Khmer Arts Founded by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro Image galleries edit Anders Jiras Photography of Cambodian dance performances Earth in Flower Photo gallery of 186 Cambodian dance photos arranged by chronology and topic Cambodian Dancers Historical info and 169 original etchings from George Groslier s 1913 book Danseuses Cambodgiennes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Royal Ballet of Cambodia amp oldid 1218568125, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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