On Friday 17 January at 7pm, the Institut français du Cambodge invites you to an evening of traditional Khmer dance.
The IFC is presenting five traditional Cambodian dances from its regions and traditions, with more than 30 dancers from the Royal University of Fine Arts on stage, for a unique open-air evening in the Institute's garden.
Cambodia is a country rich in tradition, and its dances often tell the story of a people's daily lives, particularly those living in rural areas. For those who live in the highlands and mountains, or those whose lives are organised around rivers and the sea, many traditions and religious beliefs are expressed through dance.
The Royal University of Fine Arts is showcasing a selection of these rural dances to highlight their richness and demonstrate the diversity of cultural practices that are still present today.
The featured dances
Blessing dance - Robam Choun Por: Traditionally performed at the start of a ceremony to greet, bless and offer good wishes to the audience.
Scarf dance - Robam Krama : Like any other traditional folk dance, the Khmer scarf dance or Robam Krama, created in 2001 at URBA, shows the daily life of Cambodians and the usefulness of this scarf in Khmer culture. The dancers show the audience the basic uses of the scarf.
Ploy Souy dances: This style of dance originates from the Kouy ethnic minority.
Coconut dance: This joyful dance is a parable of love. It features boys and girls searching for each other by clattering perfectly polished coconut shells to the rhythm of phleng kar wedding music, the tempo of which is rather slow but sometimes gets carried away. The shape of this fruit (drupe) symbolises the heart. Boys and girls exchange feelings, circle each other and flash meaningful smiles, all in a good-natured, folklorised form of courtly love.
Collection dance - Rombam bes kravagn: This dance originates from the Por ethnic group in the Kravagn district of Pursat province. It depicts a ceremony once performed by the Por people before they left for the Cardamom Mountains to collect forest products.
The show will take place on the IFC's outdoor stage. To buy a ticket ($5) :https://www.ifcambodge.com/community/register_client/
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