Cambodia’s

Robam Kous Trolaok (Coconut Shell Dance) has been a legacy of the Khmer people for a long time. This traditional folk dance originated in Romeas Hek district in Svay Rieng Province.

The gestures of this dance generally imitate the praying mantis, and costumes are the color of the insect.

Folk dances are performed at religious ceremonies, festivities, and leisurely entertainment. Traditionally, all dances were performed in the village in large clearings or public areas at times of birth, marriage, death, during planting and harvesting, hunting, war, or at a feast. There are many dances related to Buddhist beliefs, one of them is Robam Kgnork Pouthisat.

Khmer folk dances are highly spirited dances that follow popular themes with lively movements and gestures. Dance motifs are usually based on local legends and the everyday life of the people. Dancers dance with easy, improvised yet composed movements that are designed to invite humor and enthusiasm, with upbeat music and rhythm. Many dances are accompanied by drums and instruments from the Mahori and Pinn peat ensemble. One of many popular Khmer folk dances is Robam Nesat (Khmer Fishing Dance).

Robam Kngork Pailin (Pailin Peacock Dance) is a long-standing legacy from the Kola ethnic group, who live in the region of Pailin in the west of Cambodia. The dance relates to a Pailinian legend about a magic peacock who goes to preach to the King. The lively dance is about commemorating this peacock which is a symbol of happiness. The dance imitates the peacock with lively colors of beautiful wings and suggests a courting scene between a peacock and a peahen. The dance is said to bring happiness and prosperity to villagers and is often performed during the New Year and ritual ceremonies in times of drought to pray for rain.

Traditional Folk Dance Refers to all kinds of dances that are passed on from one generation to another and that are often linked to an ethnic group’s traditional’ ceremonies. In Cambodia, traditional dances mostly involve animism and express beliefs in the supernatural. When people have problems thought to have been caused by supernatural or spirits, they offer lively dances to appease them.