A Special Night Out In Siem Reap With Fine Dining And Apsara Dance

The culture of a country has a lot of expressions, one of which is in traditional art forms like singing and dancing. For a highly religious nation such as Cambodia, its ultimate dance is without doubt apsara dance. If you have been to Siem Reap, you must have come across the image of Apsara dancers on ancient ruins of the Angkor complex. But watching the real human making those elegant moves is mind-blowing.

The History Of Apsara Dance

In the traditional culture of Cambodia, there are two most significant dances. Apsara is one of them. Apsara is an extremely charming, beautiful and attractive dance to the audience. It is also considered a traditional dance in Cambodian spiritual culture. Therefore, traveling to Cambodia, visitors will easily come across the image of beautiful young women dancing Apsara dance in the magnificent temples and palaces. It was rooted in the notion of animism and primordial magic. 

Apsara actually originated from India in the 1st century AD. The classical dance has its own unique form with additional movements and meanings throughout the reign of King Jayavarman II to VII. By the thirteenth century, the influence of the Khmer culture was more obvious than the Indian root. Apsara gradually becomes a true Cambodian style artform.

The spirit of the classical form of apsara is cheerful and prosperous. The graceful movements of the Apsara dancers with gold headscarves, tunics and silk skirts, are carved on the walls of many Angkor temples. By the 15th century, Apsara almost came to an end with the failure of the Angkor Kingdom. By the late 40s of the 20th century, thanks to Queen Sisowath Kossamak, Apsara was thriving again.

Noticeable Characteristics Of Apsara Dance

Apsara dance features the main dancer and a group of sub dancers resembling the movements of fairies enhancing the beauty of the rose garden. Unlike traditional dances of most other countries in the world, Apsara requires slow and very delicate moves. It is to fully express the beauty of the performer and the unique feature of this technique.

Today, the Apsara fairy dance performed on modern stages is truncated It is more relaxed and more liberal than traditional dances. However, it still preserves the long-established values of the Cambodian in small details. When performing Apsara, the dancers will have to wear quite elaborate and heavy costumes. They are designed to show off delicate and elegant dance movements with the Pinpeat Orchestra. All the performers are selected carefully in terms of appearance. Vitality is the spiritual symbol of the Khmer. So the dancers must be in very good shape. Apsara dancers are usually trained from the age of 6 to be able to achieve the smooth and gentle flow of an Apsara performance.

The Cambodians perform Apsara in traditional ceremonies, celebrations, weddings, and special occasions. Especially, the Royal Family of Cambodia always has a professional dancer team, specializing in dancing in diplomatic occasions to welcome foreign guests.
The dances often tell about beautiful love affairs, about people's lives, historical stories, legends, religions. Combined with music from traditional instruments, you wouldn’t be able to take your eyes off the stage

How To Enjoy Apsara Dance In Cambodia Today?

In 2003, UNESCO recognized the Apsara Dance as an intangible heritage of humanity. Today, Khmer Apsara dancers still retain the spirit of the ancient dancers. Standard body, beautiful face, flexible hands, attractive eyes. Apsara dance is not simply an art, it is the soul of the entire Cambodian people.

There are dance festivals held at the temples, but the majority of tourists coming to Siem Reap attend performances with dinner at local restaurants. Dinner usually starts at 6 to 7 PM with dance performances at a half-hour later. During the dinner, there will be 4 or 5 sessions of dancing, making the total time of about 45-60 minutes.

Local restaurants usually offer a buffet with Khmer and international dishes, others serve a Khmer dinner. Most restaurants have prices ranging from $ 10 to $ 25 per person, including buffet parties and performances. Some restaurants do not charge a fee for international tourists to watch a performance to attract the guests for dinner. For the best seats, it’s a must to reserve a seat in advance, especially during peak seasons.

Some luxury Cambodia tours design an outdoor Apsara performance right in Angkor Temples which is the perfect choice to enjoy the Apsara at its best. On the legendary backdrop of the ancient temples and the magical atmosphere of historic land, the Apsara dance performance is, without a shadow of a doubt, an experience of a lifetime.