Apsara Dancer

Shot Notes

Apsara dancing is a major part of Cambodian culture.  I took
this in Siem Reap in the summer of 2008 while taking a short-term team
to see Angkor Wat.  In Hindu and Buddhist mythology, apsaras are a
female spirit of the clouds and water.  There are more than 1,860 unique
apsaras carved into the stone of Angkor Wat.  When Angkor Wat was the
capital of the Khmer empire, it is said that thousands of these apsara
dancers entertained the king, taking their inspiration from the
mythological court of the gods where celestial apsaras were said to
dance.