Many of the dances involve performing a fragment of the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that is one and a half times as long as the Odyssey. Others are based on the legendary battles and mythical sagas carved in bas relief in the walls of the temples of Angkor-including the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, the great battle between gods and demons for the holy liquid that gives immortality. There are some 100 Cambodian dances and dramas. There are four typical roles in Khmer dancing -the male, the female, the monkey and the giant. Women and girls usually play the male and female and giant roles.
Males often play the monkey role.
In the early days, all dancers were women, and females still dance most of the roles in the Royal dance troupe today. In December 1995, Cambodia revived its Ramayana tradition after 25 years with a performance of the epic at Angkor Wat. Dancers came from six countries as part of a Southeast Asia cultural exchange. The dances are full of meaning, with each gesture symbolizing something, from great concepts such as love and peace to small. Besides the life of a human, formal kinds of apsara dancing also honor spirit of Cambodia -and immortality.