UNESCO Masterpiece. The Royal Ballet of Cambodia

UNESCO Masterpiece highlights the most significant World Heritage from every corner of the globe. Culture enriches our lives in countless ways and helps build inclusive, innovative and resilient communities - stated UNESCO.

If we are steeped in the art of one Southeast Asian Kingdom, we will learn about the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. Since 2003, this remarkable masterpiece has been proclaimed the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Performance, which is wowing people all over the world and a repertoire of 40 dances and 60 dance dramas, is replete with the plethora of symbolic units, and the major one is hand movements by slow but rhythmic choreography. Dance formed by the astonishing flexibility of the dancers, movements of their limbs seems anatomically unnatural. Aureate costumes, airy strides, eloquent gestures and color palette reveal the characters’ temper. There are four main characters: the woman Neang, the man Neayrong, the giant Yeak, and the monkey Sva. The main plot of the ballet is constructed from the epic “Ramayana”. This story recognises duty, honor, love and loyalty, and the adventure about the king Rama, who’s rescued his wife Sita.

Throughout history, more than ten centuries it preserved its features and traditionally accompanied royal ceremonies and observances such as coronations, marriages, funerals, or local holidays, for instance, Khmer New Year, Buddha’s Day or Royal Ploughing Day.

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