Royal Ballet of Cambodia - Characters

Characters

Four main types of roles exist in Khmer classical dance; neay rong (male), neang (female), yeak (ogres or asuras), and the sva (monkeys). These four basic roles contain sub-classes to indicate character rank; a neay rong ek, for example, would be a leading male role and a neang kamnan (or philieng) would be a maiden-servant. The sub-classes of the four main roles all perform in the same type of dancing style of the class they belong to. However, the yeakheney, or female ogre, is performed with a feminized dancing style of the male counterpart. Other female character types, such as the apsara, kinnari, or mermaid, follow the same dancing style as the neang role but with subtle differences in gestures; the main difference being costume. The ngoh character type, although male, is presented with a different dancing style than the neay rong.

In the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, most roles are performed by female dancers, but the role of monkeys was transferred to men under the guidance of Queen Sisowath Kosssamak. Other roles performed by men include hermits and animals such as horses and mythical lions.

Neay rong

• Neay rong ek - deities, kings, or princes (e.g. Rama)
• Philieng ek - aide-de-camp of important characters
• Sena ek - the generals

Neang

• Neang ek - deities, queens or princesses (e.g. Sita and Manimekhala)
• Neang rong - noblewomen or angels (e.g., the daughters of the tycoon, Sampov Keo and Sampov Meas in the dance drama: Krai Thong)
• Philieng ek - female aid-de-camp (ex. Sopheak Leak)
• Neang kamnan or philieng - female servants or attendants

Yeak

• Yeak ek - premiere ogres or asuras (e.g., Ravana)
• Yeak rong - the lesser ogres
• Yeakheney - ogresses, yakkhini (e.g. Surpanakha)

Sva

• Neay sva khen - monkey generals (e.g., Hanuman)
• Pouk khen sva - monkey soldiers

Other character types

• Apsaras - celestial nymphs
• Kinnorey - the mythical kinnaris (e.g. Manohara)
• Maccha - mermaids (e.g., Suvannamaccha)
• Ngoh - a special masculine role depicting a negrito
• Eysey - hermits or rishi, a non-dancing role
• Porters - involved loosely in the dance, generally does not dance

Animals

• Garuda and mythical birds (e.g. Jatayu)
• Deer - the Golden Deer in the Ramayana
• Peafowl
• Lions
• Horse