<p>From the traditional costumes and jewelleries to the uniform make-up done on each dancer, it was a performance that Bangalore got to witness for the first time.<br /><br />“We didn’t expect so many people to attend. Everybody has been coming up to me and appreciating the fact that a Cambodian troupe was brought down,” said Sarala Unnikrishnan, Regional Director, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which had organised the event.<br /><br />Swift leg movements made the dancers look like they were gliding, emotive expressions conveyed the meaning of the songs, and the music evoked specific moods efficiently. <br /><br />It was therefore no surprise that from the very first dance, the ‘Best Wishes’ dance, the audiences were amazed by what they were watching. <br /><br />The Mara Vijay dance-drama portrayed Lord Buddha’s story as an ascetic, while the Moni Mekhala dance was a classical Khmer dance full of tangible energy on stage. <br /><br />All in all, this 45 minute long performance did not fail to impress. <br /><br />“I was enthralled by the entire performance, especially the costumes,” said Eliza Correia, an audience member. <br /><br />“It was a very short, sweet and striking performance,” she added.<br /><br />Another interesting thing was that regardless of the fact that audience members could not understand the language the songs were being sung in, this language barrier was overcome by the power of dance.<br /><br />For the Cambodian performers, this dance performance held much more meaning as a cultural interaction.<br /><br />“A visit to India, the land of Buddha, is a dream for each and every Cambodian. Cambodia and India have strong linkage of over 2000 years and now, we shared similar cultures and bonded,” shared Ouk Lay, the dance choreographer.</p>
<p>From the traditional costumes and jewelleries to the uniform make-up done on each dancer, it was a performance that Bangalore got to witness for the first time.<br /><br />“We didn’t expect so many people to attend. Everybody has been coming up to me and appreciating the fact that a Cambodian troupe was brought down,” said Sarala Unnikrishnan, Regional Director, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which had organised the event.<br /><br />Swift leg movements made the dancers look like they were gliding, emotive expressions conveyed the meaning of the songs, and the music evoked specific moods efficiently. <br /><br />It was therefore no surprise that from the very first dance, the ‘Best Wishes’ dance, the audiences were amazed by what they were watching. <br /><br />The Mara Vijay dance-drama portrayed Lord Buddha’s story as an ascetic, while the Moni Mekhala dance was a classical Khmer dance full of tangible energy on stage. <br /><br />All in all, this 45 minute long performance did not fail to impress. <br /><br />“I was enthralled by the entire performance, especially the costumes,” said Eliza Correia, an audience member. <br /><br />“It was a very short, sweet and striking performance,” she added.<br /><br />Another interesting thing was that regardless of the fact that audience members could not understand the language the songs were being sung in, this language barrier was overcome by the power of dance.<br /><br />For the Cambodian performers, this dance performance held much more meaning as a cultural interaction.<br /><br />“A visit to India, the land of Buddha, is a dream for each and every Cambodian. Cambodia and India have strong linkage of over 2000 years and now, we shared similar cultures and bonded,” shared Ouk Lay, the dance choreographer.</p>
