Robam is a vessel to carry the tradition of the Khmer people from age to age.
Robam, aka ‘Rom robam’ is a classical genre of stage performance that was an official form of entertainment in the Khmer royal court. Among Khmer performance art forms, robam is considered the most vibrantly flourishing. As a proprietary value, Khmer people are trying hard to preserve and develop this traditional art form.
Robam uses the language of dance to relate classical historical facts, fairy tales and legends,which exploit themes and episodes extracted from Buddhism and Hinduism, and most of all, from the epic Ramayana of India. The educational and moral philosophies of the Khmer people are wrapped in the content and form of this unique performance art. Professor Dr. Le Ngoc Canh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Dance Association remarked, ‘Discussing Khmer culture means discussing robam stage art. Robam as an art is a product of intellect, a focal point of Khmer culture. Robam stage includes artistic aspects of dance, song, make-up and dress.
This story is from the October - November 2018 edition of Vietnam Heritage.
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This story is from the October - November 2018 edition of Vietnam Heritage.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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