ABSTRACT
Some of the revival and preservation work was started in the refugee camps; Cambodian dancers regrouped in France and the United States. The delicate Apsara dance, for instance, is also part of the reconstruction and revival programme; however, contrary to popular belief, it has a comparatively recent history. Traditionally, members of the royal family also took part in the dance and trained to a high level — it was part of court life. There are several phases of revival for Khmer classical dance in Cambodia. Perhaps the graduates from the Royal University of Fine Arts, with their strong classical background, might explore some form of contemporary dance. All over the world, young people are attracted to pop music and they watch dance video clips on television. At present, the government policy is to reconstruct, revive and preserve the classical dance.
