Dance in Cambodia

An ancient Khmer legend, carved into the stones of Angkor during the tenth century, tells us that Cambodians are the descendants of a mythic couple: a sage and a celestial dancer. For over a thousand years, Cambodian dance has been a compelling means of artistic and spiritual expression. It is indeed the mother of an entire people, at the very heart of Khmer cultural identity. Dance in Cambodia is an introduction of the universe of Cambodian dance as it is practised today, offering a view of diverse performance traditions in which dance plays a major role, and of the powerful creative force dance has maintained in Cambodia over the centuries. Chapters on show theatre, masked dance-drama, and classical dance, as well as theatrical and ceremonial folk dance, explain the movement styles and performance frameworks of these genres while placing them in their rich cultural and historical contexts.