What is Apsara dance? Visitor guide

What Apsara dance is

Apsara dance, called Robam Tep Apsara in Khmer, is a dance in the repertoire of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. It is performed by women in tight-fitting traditional dress, and its codified gestures narrate classical myths or religious stories. It is described as one of Cambodia's national symbols. The Royal Ballet itself, also known as Khmer classical dance, has been tied to the Khmer court for over a thousand years, according to UNESCO, which lists it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Where it comes from

Apsaras are a major motif of the stone reliefs at the Angkorian temples, which date from the 8th to the 13th centuries. Dancing figures, or figures poised to dance, are apsaras. Standing figures that face forward like guardians are devatas. The dance you watch today is newer than the carvings. Queen Sisowath Kossamak saw children perform an Angkor apsara dance in paper costumes at a primary school, and she was inspired to re-create it from an existing dance, the Phuong Neary. Her granddaughter, Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, became the first professional apsara dancer of the modern era.

Read next: The Apsara Carvings of Angkor: Myth Carved in Stone

What you will see

Expect slow, held movement rather than fast steps. The lead's silk skirt-cloth is generally white, and the costume includes a silk bodice, a beaded collar, armlets and a tall gold crown, with flowers worn at the sides. The lead's crown has three points and two rows of round decorations, and supporting dancers' crowns usually have one row. Dancers in classical Khmer dance have traditionally been sewn into their garments, a process that can take hours. The costumes are derived from Angkorian imagery, so the crowns and jewellery resemble those on the reliefs. Through these movements dancers express a wide range of emotions, from fear and rage to love and joy.

What you will hear

Classical Khmer dance is accompanied by an orchestra. The Apsara dance uses the pinpeat ensemble, the largest traditional Khmer ensemble, which has played for royal courts and temples since ancient times. It combines xylophones, gong chimes, drums and a reed instrument, and it usually has about nine or ten instruments. UNESCO also describes a female chorus that gives a running commentary on the plot and highlights the emotions the dancers mime. The booking page does not say whether the music at your venue is live or recorded, so do not count on either.

A tradition that nearly vanished

UNESCO says the Royal Ballet practically ceased to exist under the Khmer Rouge, which eliminated almost all master dancers and musicians. One account puts the loss of Cambodia's classical artists at 90 percent between 1975 and 1979. After 1979, survivors rebuilt the repertoire: training restarted with the few surviving dancers in refugee camps in eastern Thailand, and dances were recreated at the Royal University of Fine Arts. UNESCO also notes the challenges today, among them funding, suitable performance spaces, and the risk of becoming a mere tourist attraction.

Read next: How Cambodia's Royal Ballet Survived the Khmer Rouge

Reading the hands

The hand gestures, called kbach, work like an alphabet in which positions stand for nature, such as fruit, flowers and leaves. Each gesture signifies something different, and dancers master them only after years of intensive training. UNESCO notes that dancers were once considered the kings' messengers to the gods and ancestors. You do not need to decode them to enjoy the evening. A good way to watch is to follow one dancer's hands for a minute, then look at how the whole line moves together. If you want the detail, our guide to hand gestures and training goes further.

Read next: Reading Apsara Dance: Hand Gestures, Training and Meaning

What else is in the programme

The booking lists five sets in about an hour but does not name the pieces, so the line-up is the venue's choice. The Royal Ballet's wider repertoire includes dance-dramas based on the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana, with four character types: Neang (women), Neayrong (men), Yeak (giants) and Sva (monkeys). Each has its own colours, costumes and masks. Dinner programmes vary by venue. Do not expect the full court repertoire in an hour. Think of the evening as a sampler of Khmer performing arts, anchored by the Apsara piece.

Read next: Beyond Apsara: The Other Dances in a Siem Reap Show

Getting there and back

Pickup at your accommodation and the drop-off at the end are included, by tuk-tuk with an English-speaking driver, so you do not need to arrange transport. Tuk-tuks are plentiful in Siem Reap. The booking page says to check availability for the pickup details, so enter your hotel name and address exactly and add a phone number that works locally. The page does not name the venue, so your confirmation is the place to check where you are being taken. If you are staying outside the centre, confirm that your address is covered.

Length, timing and season

The booked evening is listed at about two and a half hours, and the show itself lasts about an hour, in five sets. The booking calendar shows the starting time for your date, so check it before you plan anything else that evening. The evening also includes dinner and your transfers, so the show is only part of the time you set aside. The show runs every day of the week, so no day is ruled out. Siem Reap has a wet season, from May to October, and a dry season for the other six months. If you travel in the wet season, allow for rain on the tuk-tuk ride.

Dress, language, children and access

The booking page sets no dress code for the dinner. For the Angkor temples, which many visitors add to the same trip, reports of the Apsara Authority's visitor code say shoulders and knees should be covered. The dance needs no translation, and the driver is listed as English-speaking. The page states no minimum age, so check with the provider if you are bringing small children, who may find a one-hour show during a buffet long. The activity is listed as wheelchair-accessible, but the page does not describe the transfer, so ask first.

Who this isn't for

If you want to learn to dance, this isn't it: it is a performance, not a class. If you want the full classical repertoire, with masked giants and long dance-dramas, a single hour of five sets will not give you that. If you need a silent audience, a buffet restaurant is the wrong room. And if you want a named, historic theatre, the booking page does not name its venue, so you cannot choose one with this booking.