|
As the day begins, the sunlight touches the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, the golden roofs of the palace at Phnom Pen, the city, towns and villages of Cambodia, once called Kam-Po-Chea, the Golden Land. Throughout the kingdom, whether at the Royal University of Fine Arts, in a small inner-city rehearsal space, or far beyond in the town of Siem Reap, companies of dancers sit in meditation, bathed in the golden light of dawn, gathering their energy, centering their minds, bringing themselves into a state of concentration to begin their daily practice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The dancers rise slowly, their feet rooted to the earth, their heads pointing upwards to the sky, and as they begin their subtle, synchronized motions, they are transformed. This is the beginning of the sacred ritual, the yoga of dance that is performed for the pleasure of the gods. The dancers, no longer young women, are celestial beings; they are the earthly embodiment of the apsara who dance before the deities in the heavens....
Click here for the full text
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Click on any image to enlarge.
Close enlarged image after viewing.
|
|
