History
and background of Court Dance
Dance Costumes &
Dance Characters
Royal Dance Spectacle
Classical Court Dance Music
Masked Theatre (Lakhon Khol)
Links
Ken
Kunthea's Dance Homepage
Youthful
Optimism
Chamrouen Yin's Classical Cambodian Dance Page
Danse Celeste
Apsara Dance
Poetry In Motion
Classical Cambodian Dance
A Determined Survivor Revives Khmer Classical
Dance
Classical
Cambodian Court Dance
Sovannaphum
Assoication
Sam Ang Sam's Khmer Music page
Scott's
Cambodian musical instrument report Khmer
Classical Dance at the Temple The
Dance Spirit of Cambodia The
Dance Spirit of Cambodia Arts & Culture |
|
photographed and courtesy from Prof. James R. Brandon
Nang sbek thom
or sbek thom (large leather puppet shadow theatre) corresponds to the nang yai of Thailand.
Yet the origin of nang sbek thom is very obscure, some scholars
believe that nang sbek thom developed during the Angkor period
who other's claim that it came to Cambodia during the 19th century when
King Ang Duong introduced this art form as well as lakhon
khol and robam kbach boran
into the Royal Court. Prince Damrong of Thailand however suggested and
asserted that nang sbek thom came from Cambodia to Thailand when
Angkor was sacked in the 15th century. Either way it's origin still
remains unclear and obscure therefore both countries received an art
form which is old as and uniquely beautiful.
Nang sbek thom puppeteer holding a
large shadow puppet panel photographed by Jacques Brunet |
Nang sbek
thom is an art that involves mime, song, music and having to dance as well as
narration to the accompaniment of the pin-peat
orchestra. Nang sbek thom would have as many as 10 or 12 puppeteers to who
perform in this ancient art form. The leather panels can be 1.5 to 2 metres high and 1 to
1.5 metres wide, weigh as much as 7 kilograms each. The leather panels are intricately
incised with heroic figures, princesses, giants, monkeys and other characters as well as
palaces, battle scenes, forests etc... Some of
them are incised leather version of the bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat showing entire scenes
from the Reamker. The leather could be dyed tan and black or left clear, so the
shadow or silhouette is seen in varying warms shades of yellow and brown and pure white
white where the leather is incised. The leather panels are mounted on two sticks and held
by a male puppeteer firmly against a
white screen lit that is 9 to 12 metres wide
and up to 4.5 meters high lit by flame of torches or burning coconut shells.
|
Ceremony before any type of performance that may
commence
Before a performance of nang sbek thom, nang sbek
toch or any other kind of dance including lakhon khol
or robam boran khmer etc... a salutation and special
offerings are made to the spirits and teachers who help to create
this art. The salutation and special offerings are made to ask for
the spirits and teachers blessing so that they won't be offended
in or during the performance. It is always considered important
and treated with the utter most respect since many fear that
without the proper rites to be performed misfortune could actually
happen in one way or another.
|
Nang sbek thom serves a very fundamental
purpose besides entertainment, it is performed on special
occasions and ceremonies, such as part of buong soung
ceremony which calls on the heavenly deities to ask for their
blessing towards the new year, for fertility, prosperity to the
land and nation and also for rain. Apart from buong suong
ceremony it is also performed at the cremation of the kings corse,
kru's corpse (teacher), parental corpse and
also to ask the the Gods for rain during a drought . |
Details from nang sbek thom panel
|
|
|
|
Before the war in Cambodia,
there existed two nang sbek thom troupe in the country, one in Battambang
Province and another one in Seam Reap Province. Nang sbek thom was an all male
tradition, but however in the 1970s when it was brought to the Royal University of Fine
Arts, this changed things a little. The performers would include female puppeteers
because, male dancers were far and few. Therefore this was particularly necessary when a
troupe of limited sized travelled internationally.
Nang sbek thom performance could last all
night with a couple of long episodes with the battle between good and evil that is always
a popular theme from the Reamker
and other tales. Nowadays modified with the convention of electrical light instead of flame
torches and burning coconut shells, the character remained the same.
|
|
|
|