APSARA

The Apsara (in Sanskrit: "She who slides on water"), celestial nymph, expresses through her graceful gestures the unfolding of life, placing nature and the cycle of life at the center of attention.

Thus the dancers, with their incredible dexterity, express by the play of their index finger, their five fingers, by the junction of the thumb and the index finger, that new seeds are beginning to bud again: The index finger represents the bud; the five fingers, the leaves, the round shape of the index finger and thumb, the fruit; and the sudden movement of the latter apart is the last phase of the fruits which subsequently ripen and bloom. Then their seeds are scattered to all winds and, under the action of climatic elements, germinate and give buds. And here is the cycle of life!*

A sacred art of the Khmer people, the Royal Cambodian Ballet has been declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2003.

The Cambodian Royal Ballet accompanies the royal ceremonies, interpreting the different legends that run through Khmer mythology marked by Hinduism and Buddhism, populated by divine creatures, Nymphs and Demons, fantastic and hybrid animals.

Din represents a dancer performing an Apsara dance, emphasizing the effects of movements and the delicacy of the hands while leaving the facial features to the imagination of the viewer. The specific movement of the hands in this painting evokes leaves (left hand) and flowers (right hand).

*Source: Ministry of Information of the Kingdom of Cambodia