KOREA FOUNDATION

An imposing temple and the pride of Cambodia, Angkor Wat features two representative reliefs that symbolize the past splendor of the Khmer Empire. Carved on the walls and hallways of the temple, these images feature a scene from the Ramayana, the epic poem, and a girl performing Cambodia’s traditional apsara dance. The subjects of these reliefs, carved some 800 years ago by countless artists, are being revived today through Sbek Thom and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia.

   Sbek Thom is a form of Khmer shadow theater that employs puppets made of cow hide. The origin of the subject matter for Sbek Thom plays can be found in the relief of the Ramayana that stretches over a long section of the central tower of Angkor Wat. Ramayana is the epic tale of Vishnu, a god reincarnated as the human Prince Lamar. This story of adventure has long been treasured by the people of Cambodia.

   Puppets used in Sbek Thom are reborn in the image of this god through an exquisite open engraving technique on enormous pieces of cow hide. The manifestations of the god reborn feature the puppet against a white screen accompanied by sorrowful Khmer music. Audiences are amazed by the delicate craftsmanship of the puppets. Dancers hold and intertwine them to demonstrate martial arts moves and choreography, all with excitement and good cheer. Sbek Thom performances employ only black and white, diffusing a peculiar energy that draws the attention of the audience from the very beginning to the very end of the performance.

    The origin of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia can also be found in various locations on the walls of Angkor Wat. It appears in reliefs featuring apsara dancers ( themselves given the proper name “Apsara” ) known as “the heavenly dancing girl” and “the dancing Taoist fairy, born on water.” The people of Cambodia created a slow and mysterious choreography by combining the Apsara, who are water nymphs, with the motions of a snake. Graceful hand movements and the elegant rise and fall of the hems of the dancer’s dress follow the dancer’s own slow movements. This, coupled with the dancer’s engaging smile, is considered the pinnacle of well-restrained beauty. The Apsara engraved in Angkor Wat’s reliefs have been vividly revived, moving once again courtesy of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. 

   In 2008, Sbek Thom and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, which were deified by the Khmer people, were designated as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. These two performance arts, recognized as traditions that symbolize Cambodia, will continue to carry their brilliance and love to all the people of the world.