अप्सरस् Apsaras, the celestial dancers.
Apsara, the dancing goddess, and the sculptures of the other dancing deities of Angkor are the models for today's Apsara dancers who are learning this discipline. These dancers focus their choreography on hand and foot movements, while keeping their backs arched.
However, the purpose of traditional Khmer dance is not only to dance, but also to convey a message or a story that can be found in several places on the walls of the temples of Angkor.
An apsara (अप्सरस्) is a celestial nymph of great beauty, born according to legend either from the fantasy of the god Brahma or the Rishi Daksha or Kashyapa1. Apsaras appear in Vedic literature, more specifically in the Rig-Veda and the Mahabarata.
The divinities represented in bas-relief on the walls of Khmer temples by the name of apsara are devata, secondary divinities in the form of dancers.
However, the purpose of traditional Khmer dance is not only to dance, but also to convey a message or a story that can be found in several places on the walls of the temples of Angkor.
An apsara (अप्सरस्) is a celestial nymph of great beauty, born according to legend either from the fantasy of the god Brahma or the Rishi Daksha or Kashyapa1. Apsaras appear in Vedic literature, more specifically in the Rig-Veda and the Mahabarata.
The divinities represented in bas-relief on the walls of Khmer temples by the name of apsara are devata, secondary divinities in the form of dancers.
