Khmer classical dance · Phnom Penh
Khmer classical dance on a riverside terrace: graceful hands, gold crowns and silk costumes.
The dance inspired by Angkor's carved apsaras, performed live beside the river.
The riverside evening
Khmer classical dance has been closely associated with the Khmer court for over one thousand years, and UNESCO lists it as the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. Its dancers were seen as messengers of the kings to the gods and to the ancestors. The Khmer Rouge regime nearly wiped out the tradition, and after 1979 troupes re-emerged and resumed performing the ancient repertory.
Apsaras are celestial dancers, carved in stone along the walls of Angkor's temples. The Apsara dance performed today dates from the 1950s, when Queen Sisowath Kossamak drew on the apsaras of Angkor for its crown, its pleated sampot and its flower.
The ticket places the show at the Riverview Restaurant & Bar on Preah Sisowath Quay, a three-kilometre riverfront strip lined with hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés and shops. The restaurant is within walking distance of the Royal Palace, and the show runs on its terrace, moving indoors when it rains.
The dance, piece by piece
Khmer classical dance is built from a small set of elements: a vocabulary of hand gestures, four kinds of character, the apsara, an orchestra and a chorus. Here they are one by one, as UNESCO and the dance literature describe them.
Gesture
Kbach is the Khmer word for the hand gestures of the dance, and it means style. Together they work like an alphabet, standing for natural things such as fruit, flowers and leaves. Where the arm sits, and where the hand sits relative to the arm, can alter a gesture's meaning. UNESCO says dancers need years of intensive training to master them.
Character
Neang is the woman, the first of four character types in the classical repertory. Ranks run from queens and goddesses down to maiden servants. Other female characters, such as the apsara, follow the same dancing style as the neang with subtle differences in gesture, and the main difference is the costume.
Character
Neayrong is the man, the second character type, and it covers kings, princes and gods in the highest ranks. Most roles in Khmer classical dance are performed by female dancers.
Character
Yeak is the giant, or ogre, and the character wears a mask. The giants have their own overture, a display of power as they go into combat or battle.
Character
Sva is the monkey. Under Queen Sisowath Kossamak the monkey roles were transferred to men, who play acrobatic monkeys set apart from the human roles.
The apsara
On the temple walls of Angkor, female figures that dance or are poised to dance are considered apsaras, and those standing still and facing forward are devatas. The Apsara dance of today was created in the 1950s, and its costume is based on the Angkor reliefs.
Music
The pinpeat is the largest Khmer traditional musical ensemble, with approximately nine or ten instruments, mainly wind and percussion, including several varieties of xylophone and drums. It has played the ceremonial music of the royal courts and temples since ancient times.
Voice
UNESCO describes a female chorus that narrates the plot as it unfolds and underlines the emotions the dancers mime. Dancers do not sing or generally speak, so gesture and chorus carry the story between them.
These panels describe the tradition, not a running order. What you see on a given night depends on the programme the performers present.
The terrace
The ticket covers the performance. Everything around it, from the table to the food, is arranged with the restaurant.
Dance and river
Apsara dancers before a carved-temple backdrop, lotus offerings, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia in Paris, an apsara carved at Angkor, the Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda, the riverfront promenade, the river from the quay and a court postcard.
Evenings on the river in Phnom Penh
The first row opens the Apsara dance show this guide describes. The other two are river cruises, which are boat trips and not dance performances. Other Phnom Penh activities are listed in the strip underneath.
A Khmer classical dance performance by the Princess Devi Dance Academy, on a terrace beside the Tonlé Sap, with a show programme and à la carte dinner and drinks.
Best for Visitors who want to see Khmer classical dance live.
A two-hour river cruise at sunset or in the evening with live traditional Khmer music, and an optional all-you-can-eat dinner.
Best for Visitors who want the river, live music and a boat.
A one-and-a-half-hour sunset cruise with commentary on riverbank landmarks such as the Royal Palace, and unlimited beer and soft drinks as an option.
Best for Visitors who want a short cruise and the view of the city.
More to book in Phnom Penh
Plan the evening
The show runs on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Open dates appear in the booking calendar, and booking ahead gives the best seating options.
The venue is on the first floor of 313 Quayside, Preah Sisowath Quay. Reviewers found the address hard to locate, so look for the number and the first-floor level.
If it rains, the show is performed indoors. The restaurant says the terrace stage is much bigger than the indoor one.
Dinner and drinks are à la carte and optional. The ticket recommends arriving earlier if you plan to eat before the show.
The booking page shows wheelchair access as available. As the venue is on the first floor, ask the restaurant to confirm step-free access before you travel.
Group bookings and a buffet can be pre-arranged through the restaurant's website.
Guides to Khmer dance and the riverfront
Which ticket and what to expect Who performs the Apsara dance evening on the Phnom Penh riverfront, what the ticket covers, how dinner works, where the entrance is and who the show suits.
Read this guide → The dance explained What Khmer classical dance is, where the apsara comes from, how hand gestures, characters, music and costume work, and what to watch for on the night.
Read this guide →FAQ
The ticket title uses the name Royal Ballet of Cambodia and the description names the Princess Devi Dance Academy as the performers. UNESCO uses the name for the whole dance tradition, and it can also refer to the National Dance Company. Nothing on the ticket presents the evening as that company's season.
No. Dinner and drinks are à la carte and optional, and the ticket recommends arriving earlier if you plan to eat before the show.
Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Open dates appear in the booking calendar.
The performance moves indoors. If the show is cancelled, the ticket says the purchase price can be redeemed as a food and drink credit.
The ticket shows a duration of 105 minutes, with a show programme included.
On the first floor of 313 Quayside, Preah Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh. Look for the number 313 and the first-floor level.
The booking page shows wheelchair access as available. As the venue is on the first floor, ask the restaurant to confirm step-free access before you travel.
A celestial dancer of Hindu and Buddhist culture, carved on the temple walls of Angkor. The Apsara dance performed today dates from the 1950s, and its costume is based on those reliefs.
Every price here is per adult and quoted in US dollars. Once you open the booking page it switches to your own currency.