DANCE - THE ROYAL BALLET OF CAMBODIA IN PERFORMANCE

THE ROYAL BALLET OF CAMBODIA

PERFORMANCE SPECIAL

The chilling regime of Pol Pot almost succeeded in obliterating the royal and ancient art of Khmer dance, an essential part of Cambodia's identity and heritage. By 1975, the Khmer Rouge had put to death 80% of the country's dancers and their teachers, the 'living dictionaries' through whom the age-old choreography is passed from one generation to the next.

This film is testimony to the survival and rebirth of the Royal Cambodian Ballet. When the troupe of forty-five dancers, eight musicians and three singers visited France as part of a European tour, director Adrian Maben took the opportunity to capture the glittering spectacle of their art with the benefit of multi-camera shoots recorded on to Digital Betacam tape with stereo sound, for this performance special

Directed by Adrian Maben