I enjoy dinner and a show as much as anyone. During our first night at Siem Reap – with everyone very excited about the historic archaeologic sites we would be visiting the next few days – we attended a cultural show held at a nice restaurant, the Morakot Angkor Restaurant. Basically, dinner theater. The food was very good (a buffet featuring Khmer and international cuisine), and it was followed by a one hour cultural/music/dance performance which was quite entertaining.
There were performances arranged into four main dance sequences, each introduced by a young lady in Cambodian and then in accented English. Here is a summary of them:
The first dance featured men in ornate costumes with tall helmets and headdresses, portraying warriors or gods from classic tales. Women were similarly dressed and danced in the Apsara style (further discussed below)
This was followed by a display of Cambodia’s ancient martial art, Bokator. Bokator is a little known fighting style which is at least 1500 years old and which was a cornerstone of military training under the Khmer Empire, during Angkor’s golden age. Bokator emphasizes hand-to-hand combat skills mingled with weaponry techniques using sticks, spears and swords. Intermingled are spins, high kicks, flying kicks and foot sweeps.
The Bokator display was performed by several men who demonstrated the art with graceful fluid motions, which you really couldn’t capture in a still image.
The Bokator display was followed by the colorful Peacock Dance, a traditional dance based on Khmer folklore, symbolizing renewal, spiritual awakening and the emergence of love. There costumes were colorful, the dancers graceful, and the “peacocks” entertaining,
The best part of the show, in my opinion, was the final Apsara Dance. This is the traditional dance I associate with Cambodia, and several of the female dancers did a superb job demonstrating this art form. Apsara are celestial nymphs which are depicted in carvings at Angkor Wat and other temples near Siem Reap.
Dressed in costumes styled after Khmer royalty, the ladies seemed to glide across the stage. Apsara dance is conveyed through subtle body movements and is a UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage, deeply tied to Cambodia’s Angkorian past.
The dance conveys tales of gods and goddesses, and symbolizes is the essence of Cambodia. It is quite magical to watch being performed so well.
After the show, all performers returned to the stage and audience members had a chance to join them for photos, etc. It was a nice piece of Cambodian heritage, enjoyed by all of those I traveled with.
