22nd anniversary of the inscription of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Heritage of a kingdom, brilliance of eternity

On November 7, Cambodia celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the inscription of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Timeless rites, enchanting gestures, dazzling costumes: the Khmer royal dance embodies not only the soul of an ancient civilization but also a living treasure that continues to illuminate the global cultural stage.

At the origins of a spiritual majesty

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia, also called the classical Khmer dance (Robam Preah Reach Trop), was born in the heart of the royal court more than a thousand years ago. Traditionally linked to royal ceremonies—coronations, weddings, funerals, national festivities—it served as a mystical bridge between the king, the deities, and the ancestors, symbolizing divine protection over the kingdom.

The gestures and postures of the ballet have been rigorously passed down through generations. Each movement, each finger bend, and each torso tilt holds a narrative power, telling legends from the Reamker (the Khmer version of the Ramayana) or glorifying the cosmogony of the apsaras, those famous celestial nymphs carved on Angkor's bas-reliefs.

A miraculous rebirth: from shadow to light

The history of the Royal Ballet carries the scars of a national tragedy. In 1975, during the Khmer Rouge regime, this sacred art nearly vanished: master dancers, musicians, and choreographers were persecuted, and oral and gestural traditions reduced to silence. After the regime's fall in 1979, a determined resurgence arose. Former stars and survivors, driven by unshakable faith in their art, rekindled the ballet's flame, training new generations and reconstructing mutilated choreographies.

The official revival of the ballet owes much to Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, former prima ballerina and Minister of Culture, who led the restoration of great choreographic epics, facilitated international tours, and helped reposition this unique art at the center of the world stage.

UNESCO inscription: recognition of an absolute

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia was proclaimed a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO on November 7, 2003, a date now a memorial anchor. This recognition is the culmination of many years of diplomatic, scientific, and artistic efforts to preserve and enhance tradition amid rapid modernization, the precariousness of artists, and the indirect repercussions of globalization.

This classification allowed increased visibility internationally. It also led to a wave of invitations to perform at major cultural events in Asia, Europe, and worldwide. The community of dancers, previously marginalized, was rehabilitated in national pride thanks to renewed institutional support.​

The sacred grammar of the gesture

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia stands out for the refinement of its codes. Learning, begun in childhood, is governed by strict discipline: years of rehearsals and sacrifices forge the grace and precision necessary to perform roles perfectly. Four archetypes dominate the stage:

• Neang, the young woman, symbolizing beauty and delicacy.

• Neayrong, the young man, model of bravery and uprightness.

• Yeak, the giant, embodiment of destructive force.

• Sva, the monkey, the mischievous and agile agent of epic tales.

Each role has distinct costumes, masks, and makeup: shimmering silks, golden embroidery, majestic headdresses, sparkling jewels. All work together to move the audience and magnify the gestures.

Music, singing, and living narration

Accompanying the art of movement, the pinpeat orchestra punctuates the ballet with its crystalline sounds: gongs, xylophones, drums, oboes, and cymbals sketch a unique sound framework where melodies and silences intertwine.

The voice of a narrator (or a women's chorus) comments on the action, modulates the dramatic atmosphere, and translates into understandable prose the emotions suggested by the dance. This symbiosis between music, gesture, and story gives the ballet its depth and evocative power.

Royal ballet and contemporary Cambodian society

A vector of community cohesion, the Royal Ballet continues to play a fundamental role in Cambodian cultural life. Its presence shines in schools, artistic institutions, and major national ceremonies, instilling a feeling of continuity and rebirth.

But the ballet remains fragile, facing structural challenges: chronic underfunding, a lack of suitable performance spaces, possible erosion of the traditional audience facing competition from modern media. Some experts also warn of the risk of folklorization, where the sacred art might be reduced to a mere tourist attraction.

A continuously growing international influence

Since its UNESCO inscription, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia has multiplied international tours and residencies: dance festivals in Europe, interventions in Asia, educational collaborations, workshops, and master classes to spread the tradition beyond borders. This dynamic fosters fruitful dialogue between intangible heritage and contemporary innovations, consolidating Cambodia's role as guardian of a universal legacy.

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia is much more than an art: it is the living expression of an identity, the sensitive memory of a people, an embodied prayer for peace and beauty. Its gestures connect the present to the era of divine kings, its refinement transcends generations, its stories sing the struggles, passions, hopes, and rituals of a people that have risen from the ashes.

On this 22nd anniversary of its UNESCO inscription, the Royal Ballet continues to stir hearts, recall the strength of intangible heritage, and celebrate, beyond borders, the infinite power of gesture, grace, and rediscovered memory.