DANCE - THE ROYAL CAMBODIAN BALLET: DANCING FOR THE GODS

TRADITIONAL WORLD DANCE/CID-UNESCO PEACE PRIZE,

GRAND PRIX VIDEO-DANSE AWARDS

THE ROYAL BALLET OF CAMBODIA

Time Regained

When the sculptor Rodin saw the dancers of the Royal Cambodian Ballet perform in France in 1906, he was overwhelmed by their perfection. Classical Khmer dance has one of the oldest  choreographic traditions in the world but, even though the formal vocabulary of gestures that is central to this highly-stylised art now passes common comprehension, the meditative beauty of the dancers' extraordinary technique and the hypnotic effect of their intense concentration remain utterly captivating. Pol Pot almost succeeded in obliterating this quintessential part of Cambodia's heritage. However, thanks to the courage and determination of the few teachers and dancers who survived the killing fields, the Royal Ballet has been reborn.

Proeung Chhieng and Princess Buppha Devi both played a key role in this renaissance and they take part in Adrian Maben's film which travels with the company on a recent European tour. It captures the glittering spectacle of performances and explains the stories being told, as well as sitting in on the painstaking preparations that precede stage appearances and accompanying the young Cambodians as they discover the West.

Footage shot in Phnom Penh gives an insight into the enormous physical and personal demands made on the dancers and the ballet's continuing struggle to survive. Maurice Bejart is among the contributors.

Directed by Adrian Maben