Cambodia’s Sacred Dancers Perform at Angkor on BBC TV

Dancers from the Nginn Karet Foundation for Cambodia school learn the ancient art of Angkor as a spiritual practice.
Dancers from the Nginn Karet Foundation for Cambodia school learn the ancient art of Angkor as a spiritual practice.

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Go for dinner in Cambodia’s tourist centre and there’s a good chance you will see a dance performance. But some educated people are beginning to complain that the dancers are not properly trained – and the rattling of cutlery debases the traditional art-form of sacred dancers.

Please click any photo below to see the BBC video report Reviving Cambodia’s Sacred Temple Dances.

Ravynn Karet Coxen founded a school to teach the sacred dance arts of Cambodia in a pure setting. Her troupe has performed for King Sihamoni of Cambodia and has also performed ritual dances of purification at many important temples built by the Khmer civilization.
Ravynn Karet Coxen founded her school to teach sacred dance arts based on Cambodian traditions. Her troupe has performed for King Sihamoni and has conducted ritual dances of purification at many temples built by the Khmer civilization.

Near the small temple of Banteay Srey, Ravynn Karet-Coxen has established a school for “sacred dancers” to present dance in the context originally intended, as Guy De Launey reports in this BBC feature. Children at the Nginn Karet Foundation for Cambodia dance school now learn to dance with discipline, following ancient style of dance developed in Angkor to respect the Khmer gods, king and people.

NKFC dancers learn folk dances as well as the classical art of the royal dance, a Khmer tradition more than 1,000 years old.
NKFC dancers learn folk dances as well as the classical art of the royal dance, a Khmer tradition more than 1,000 years old.
NKFC dancers perform a ritual dance at a local Buddhist temple in Siem Reap.
NKFC dancers perform a ritual dance at a local Buddhist temple in Siem Reap.

Temple Rituals by NKFC Sacred Dancers

The articles below describe dance rituals performed by the NKFC troupe at other Khmer temples.

The Art of Sacred Dance in Cambodia

Banteay Srey, Angkor

Preah Vihear Temple

Wat Bo, Siem Reap