A rare record, wonderful but also a bizarre production
There is precious little available about traditional Cambodian dancing. It is a marvelous art form with a long and complex history that is still being performed today. This dvd is, as far as I know, the only one on this topic on Amazon.com and perhaps anywhere else.
There is no production date on the dvd, but I would guess that it was made the late 1950's or early 1960's. Although filmed in color, much of the footage has faded. There are some wonderful scenes on this DVD and a considerable amount of information on the history and meaning of the dances, the characters in the dance, how the dancers are trained, how the costumes are made and much else. Portions of performances are shown. Especially if you are just learning about this subject, it is great to see the video.
There are a number of odd and distracting aspects to this video as well. The footage is a bit fragmented in how it tells the story, and there are some strange repetitions of entire scenes - the...
Incredible: just get it.
This is great archival footage of Cambodian Classical Dance, including many of the elements that go into the preparation for performance. A rare and wonderful must have for anyone interested in Cambodian arts and culture.
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