Cambodia classical dance: Heritage of the ancient Khmer ancestors (Documentary, 1997)

The dance embodies the traditional values of refinement, respect and spirituality. This art form, which narrowly escaped annihilation in the 1970s, is cherished by many Cambodians. Proeung Chhieng and Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, a former star dancer, have been responsible for setting up a new school and Royal Ballet.

Original title - Dancing for the Gods
Directed by Adrian Maben, 1997

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This documentary travels to Phnom Penh in Cambodia to look at the renaissance of Khmer classical dancing. At the heart of the classical form is the Apsara, the dancer whose image can be seen everywhere in stone on the walls of Angkor Vat temple. It is estimated that there were 3,000 Apsara dancers in the twelfth-century court of King Jayavarman VII. In the year 1400, the Khmer empire was dismantled, and the dancers were seized and abducted to Thailand. The glory of Angkor faded and the Royal Ballet deteriorated. In the 1950s the Queen Mother Rreah Kossmak began to take an interest in its revival. HRH Princess Norodom Boppha Devi, the daughter of King Norodom Sihanouk, became an outstanding dancer. Classical dance again suffered badly during the civil war of the Pol Pot regime. By 1975 the Khmer Rouge had put to death 80% of the royal dancers and their teachers. Only five teachers of Apsara dance survived the killing fields. One who escaped is Proeung Chhieng, a former member of the Royal Dance Troupe who used to perform with Princess Boppha Devi. Chhieng and the Princess are now in charge of the 300 dancers of the Royal Khmer Classical Troupe.

Chhieng is also Dean of the Choreographic Arts Faculty at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Footage shot here shows the daily routine at the school, observing the pupils in class. Students start their training at the age of six or seven, while their bones are still supple. A high degree of discipline and perseverance is demanded but the atmosphere is enormously supportive. After two years of basic training, pupils specialize in either classical dance – that of the Apsaras and legends - or traditional dance. The latter draws on everyday life and peasant customs for inspiration. Examples of this are also seen in the program. At the end of twelve years of study, the best classical dancers are selected to join the Royal Ballet corps, while some others become teachers. The full splendor of the Royal Ballet is seen in extracts from performances the company gave at the 1997 Montpellier Festival. In Phnom Penh students are seen preparing for a performance, during the elaborate and laborious process of being sewn into their ornate costumes, applying make-up and donning headdresses and masks.

The gestures of the stone Apsaras at Angkor Vat are identical to those taught today at the Royal School of Dance in Phnom Penh. Complex and highly formalized, classical Khmer dance leaves no room for improvisation. Over 1,100 main postures form a movement language used to tell centuries-old legends. The traditions are passed on from one generation to the next by dance teachers who are ‘living dictionaries’. Princess Boppha Devi explains: “With the help of former teachers who are alive today, we are trying to rediscover the ancient classical dances. We don’t attempt to change them or modernize them. On the contrary, we are content to preserve the ones that were nearly lost forever. What’s more, we are very much afraid of foreign influences on our way of seeing things. We must protect ourselves against foreign culture and ensure that it does not infiltrate ours.” Visiting Angkor Vat for the first time, dancer Noun Kagyna studies the carved Apsaras whose gestures she mirrors in her art. Professor Chheng Ponh, a sage and former minister of culture, talks about the meaning of some movements demonstrated by Noun Kagyna.

Both the tragedy and spirit of modern-day Cambodia are encapsulated in this film. Sadly, since its completion, the country has once again been torn apart by civil war, throwing the future of Khmer classical dance back into doubt.

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