Khmer classical dance: continuity and change

Last update: December 3, 2023

By "Khmer classical dance" we mean a sacred dance form that originated in India in the early centuries of our era, flourishing both in temples and at court before acquiring the distinctive characteristics we know today.

Numerous books have been published on Khmer classical dance, but none has convinced us. The main reason is that many authors start from paradigms conveyed by legends, false beliefs or scientific references biased by nationalist discourse. We make no claim to hold the truth, firstly because it doesn't exist, and secondly because even if it did, it would be multifaceted.

Since its establishment and development in the lands of the Khmer Empire, sacred dance, originally from India, has evolved into a Khmer art form in its own right. Whether performed in the temple or at court, it remained a vehicle for the religious thought of Hinduism and, later and temporarily, Buddhism during the Bayon period (late 12^th - early 13^th c.).We don't know if there were differences between the two types of representation.In truth, the only thing we know for sure is that we don't know much about dance in the pre-Angkorian and Angkorian periods. Indeed, epigraphy doesn't mention dance in any great detail, and iconography depicts dancers in an immutable canon, betraying the complexity of this art form. The most reliable source remains the text of the Nāṭya Śāstra, an encyclopedic work of Hinduism laying down the foundations of Indian theater. The very term "dance" is reductive. This choreographic art should be seen as "global theater", multimedia, integrating actors, dancers, singers and musicians (women and/or men). It uses sung sacred texts, gestures (mudra/seals) performed with all parts of the body, independently or in combination, costumes, make-up and masks adapted to various situations, and musicians playing alone or accompanying the gestures of the dancer-actors.

From the outset, Khmer kings were keen to expand their territory by unifying disparate kingdoms, forging alliances and waging war.The apogee of the Khmer Empire came under the reign of King Jayavarman VII, who reigned from 1181 to 1218-19. His long reign enabled him to build numerous temples, roads and hospitals, and to promote Buddhism, while at the same time appeasing the Hindu priests. Thanks to his two wives, queens Jayarājadevī and Indradevī, Jayavarman VII gave a place to women like no one before him.

Stanza LXXIII of inscription K. 485 from the Phimeanakas ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស (the Palace of the Royal Triad) is unique. It demonstrates the role of this global theater in the service of the Buddhist Way, at the initiative of Queen Jayarājadevī. It demonstrates that dance, under this reign, but probably also under previous reigns, was a means of communication arbitrated at the highest level of the kingdom: 

LXXIII. (...) and her vow, having realized the Buddhist fruit (...) she commissioned her own dancers to perform, to give performances drawn from the Jātaka*.

After the reign of Jayavarman VII, the kingdom gradually sank into multifactorial decadence.

* A collection of tales and stories recounting the many past lives of Buddhas, and in particular those of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni.

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During the late 13^th and early 14^th centuries, Theravada Buddhism gradually became prevalent. Sacred dancers and musicians were not allowed to participate in religious ceremonies, as reported by the Chinese chronicler Tcheou-Ta-Kouan. In his 1296 text, he states this fact clearly. According to the Chinese chronicler Tcheou-Ta-Kouan's 1296 text, "there are no bells, drums or cymbals" in Buddhist temples. Musical instruments are a distinguishing feature of Vajrayāna or Tantric Buddhism, as observed in places like Nepal or Tibet. Consequently, it can be inferred that the Royal Palace is the sole venue where dancers still perform. Stripped of its original Hindu or Mahayana Buddhist essence, subsequent leaders have repurposed dance for secular ends. We maintain, however, that the dance maintains a certain religious essence, as brahmins (baku) continue to serve at the Cambodian royal court until today.They guarantee the continuity of Brahmanic rites, where dance holds a significant position.