CAMBODIA CLASSICAL DANCE

Classical Dance of Cambodia The epic poem of Rama (Ramayana) is believed to have been revealed to a Hindu holy man named Valmiki by Brahma, the god of creation. This religious literary work, dating from about ad 4, is known in various versions throughout India and Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, the story has been set to music and dance and performed by the Royal Ballet since the 18th century.

CAMBODIA KING SISOWATH

Sisowath I was king of Cambodia from 1904 to his death in 1927. He was the son of King Ang Duong and half brother of Prince Si Votha and King Norodom

APSARA DANCE (Robam Apsara)

Robam Tep Apsara

APSARA DANCE is the title of a Khmer classical dance created by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia in the mid-20th century under the patronage of Queen Sisowath Kossamak. The Apsara is played by a woman, sewn into tight-fitting traditional dress, whose graceful, sinuous gestures are codified to narrate classical myths or religious stories.

History

In 1940s, Queen Sisowath Kossomak Nearirath Serey Vatthana, the wife of King Norodom Suramarit, was sent an invitation to Sothearath primary school, seeing the school mistress prepared an inspirational angkor apsara dance which is performed by young school in the paper apsara costume includes Crown, Sampot and Flower, all referencing Apsara represented at Angkor Wat. The Queen got the idea to re-create the dance and led her first granddaughter, Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, a daughter of Norodom Sihanouk, to become the first professional apsara dancer of the modern era. The Princess started practicing the dance since she was 5 years old and danced apsara for first time during King Norodom Sihanouk's tenure.

In 1967, the fine–boned young princess, clad in silk and glittering jewels, performed beneath the stars on the open pavilion within the palace walls, accompanied by the royal dance troupe and the "pinpeat" orchestra. Selected by her grandmother, Queen Sisowath Kossomak, to become a dancer when she was only a baby. She toured the world as the principal dancer of the apsara role.

Headdress

The headdress of the lead apsara has five points or tips, with two rows of spherical decorations like the apsara pictured at Angkor Wat. Headdress worn by the subordinate dancers commonly have three points and only one row of sphere decoration. These crowns often include garlands of artificial hair with ornate adornments. The five-points crowns are frequently absent in modern dance routines.

Accessories

This round decorative collar (red colored) is highly visible; found just below the neck, the collar is embellished with detailed gold-colored copper ornaments and beaded designs. The elaborate decorations is usually found gracefully decorated on two separate rows. Additional copper ornaments are found hanging below these rows, in the shape of difficult-to-describe warped spear tips, the largest of which is centralized.

Dangling earrings, which are bound in bunches, traditionally stretch almost to the shoulder. These dangling earrings are mainly duplicated from the design of the 'krorsang' flower (a large spiny tree with sour fruit) and are preferred to the 'mete' (chili) flowers, which are held to be less beautiful.

There are a total of four types of wrist jewelry: kong rak, patrum, kong ngor, and sanlek. The first is a truly beautiful diamond-like studded bracelet a fine and elegantly wrist jewel decorated in a tree branch-like fashion, the second is more of a spring-like coiled gold colored thick copper while the third type of bracelet (two sets are worn) are small round beaded orb/sphere bunches delicately connected to one another, the last bracelet is an intricate and well decorated thickly rounded jewel. Additionally an Apsara dancer may be found wearing a garland of jasmine.

Two types of gold ankle jewelry are usually worn by the Apsara dancer, the first being kong tong chhuk the second kong ngor (or kong kravel).

The sangvar is a loosely decorated band of beads worn crosswise. The golden flower is considered a body-decorating element, either worn on the waist or carried during the performance. It too is gold in color, and made of thin flexible copper.

WHAT IS BEHIND BAYON TEMPLE IN CAMBODIA ?

Buddhist symbolism in the foundation of the temple by King Jayavarman VII

ANGKOR WAT SECRET BUILT

The Khmers used sandstones to construct the Angkor Wat. The blocks were collected from Mount Kulen. The Khmers used a combination of elephants, coir ropes, pulleys and bamboo to put the blocks in place.

UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT ANGKOR WAT

The sanctuary complex at Angkor Wat, only outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia, is world acclaimed for its multifaceted lotus-bloom towers, its cryptic grinning Buddha pictures and dazzling moving young ladies (Apsara), and its geometrically consummate channels and supplies.

WONDERFUL AND SECRET OF ANGKOR WAT

Part of an ancient Cambodian capital, Angkor Wat was the spiritual epicentre of the Khmer Empire.

WHAT IS HIDING OF ANGKOR WAT

The stones, as smooth as cleaned marble, were laid without mortar with tight joints that are once in a while elusive. The pieces were held together by mortise and tenon joints at times, while in others they utilized dovetails and gravity.

HOW TO BUILD ANGKOR WAT

Site and plan

Angkor Wat, situated at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E/13.41250°N 103.86667°E, is an exceptional mix of the sanctuary mountain, the standard configuration for the realm's state sanctuaries and the later arrangement of concentric exhibitions.

BACKGROUND OF ANGKOR WAT

Angkor Wat lies 5.5 kilometers (3.4 mi) north of the present day town of Siem Reap, and a short separation south and marginally east of the past capital, which was focused at Baphuon. It is in a zone of Cambodia where there is an essential gathering of old structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's fundamental locales.