Apsara Dancer - Angkor Wat, Cambodia

"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie." -Agnes de Mille

Apsara dance is the traditional Cambodian dance that was practiced in the royal palaces. This traditional dance almost went extinct during the bloody reign of the Khmer Rouge.

The Khmer dance is characterized by intricate finger and body movements (i.e. flexibility) which usually convey a story or message.

What better way to understand Khmer history than photographing an apsara dancer at historical Angkor Wat. On this particular morning a celestial dancer descended from the clouds to be my model at the Bayon temple. I don’t what kind of story her fingers were telling me that morning, but I think it had to do with a gratuity.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Southeast Asia.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Still figuring out Google +
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

Taken on: 19th May, 2012. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See Sam Antonio Photography's page of Flickr

More images