The Royal Ballet of Cambodia comes to BAM on Thursday, May 2 with The Legend of Apsara Mera. Context is everything, so get even closer to the costumes, the tradition, and more with this curated selection of articles, videos, and original blog pieces related to the show. For those who've already seen the show, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.
On the Blog
Article
“Dancing Myths: The Legend of Apsara Mara” (BAM Blog)
“Their legs are bent in a soft plié, fingers curled back from their palms like flower petals.”
Article
"Auguste Rodin and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia"
“I contemplated them in ecstasy,” said the artist about the Cambodian ballet.
Around the Web
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| Auguste Rodin, Cambodian Dancer, 1906 Graphite and Watercolor |
“Dancing Well Is The Best Revenge” (The New York Times)
Cambodian dance gets its due during the citywide Season of Cambodia festival.
Article
“How Dances Defied Death in Cambodia” (The New York Times)
90 percent of the dancers living in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime were killed. Today, dance thrives.
Interview
"Dance of the Gods: Interview with Cambodian Princess Buppha Devi" (Devata.org)
A rich profile of the face of Cambodian dance.
Article
“A Stirring Monument to Immortality” (The Wall Street Journal)
Movements in The Legend of Apsara Mera were partly inspired by this spectacular bas-relief found inside a 12th-century Khmer temple.
Video
“Preserving History: Cambodial Royal Ballet (YouTube)
Princess Buppha Devi is largely responsible for the healthy state of Cambodian dance, which has endured a millennium of cultural change.
Video
A Ceremonial Dance by HRH Princess Buppha Devi (YouTube)
The choreographer of The Legend of Apsara Mera and member of the Cambodian royal family performs a dance to the spirits of former kings.
Website
Season of Cambodia: A Living Arts Festival
Catch more Cambodian cultural offerings during this ambitious festival.
Video
National Geographic Megastructures: Angkor Wat (YouTube)
Rising high out of the Cambodian jungle, the five-towered temple Angkor Wat houses famous depictions of “Churning of the Sea of Milk” and other Khmer legends celebrated in The Legend of Apsara Mera.
Video
Apsara (YouTube)
This film, directed by a former Cambodian king and starring the choreographer of The Legend of Apsara Mera, was part of the postwar renaissance of Cambodian ballet. (Scroll to 17:00 for dancing!)
Worthwhile Words
Sculptor Auguste Rodin, after seeing Cambodian dancers perform in the Bois du Boulogne in Paris:
The Cambodians have shown us everything that antiquity could have contained. It is impossible to think of anyone wearing human nature to such perfection; except them and the Greeks.”
Now Your Turn . . .
So what's your verdict? Once you've seen the show, tell us what you thought in the comments below.