Trot Dance, a Khmer traditional dance at Khmer Organic Cooperative
Trot Dance, a Khmer traditional dance that date back to the Angkor era, thousands of years ago, the people of Somrae performed this dance for the king at New Year celebrations. Since then Robam Trol has a strong associated with Khmer New year. Many Cambodian organize this dance to ward off bad luck from the previous year while celebrating new year.
On Wednesday, 10th of April 2019, Khmer Organic Cooperative has organized Robam Trot to welcome the upcoming Khmer New Year as well as to bring good luck and prosperity.
The term Trot come from Sanskrit, which means “to end”, as the case, ending the previous year. During the Angor era, the people of Somrae, the descendants of the early settlers now living on the mountainous area of Kulean in Siem Reap, perform the dance for the King. It is a celebration of ending the year and bringing good luck and prosperity to the king for the new year. The dance also tells folktale of a hunter; who one day went to the forest to hunt but could not find animals in the forest. Thinking that the spirits in the forest are preventing him from hunting the animals, he decided to do an offering. Suddenly, a golden deer appears with golden furs and antlers made of precious stones. He shot the deer and upon retrieving, he saw how beautiful the deer was and thought of giving it to the king. The king was pleased by his gesture and he was granted a rank of the head in his village. With this, the hunter created a dance as an offering to the forest spirits who brought him this fortune.
Reference:
- https://www.intocambodia.com/cambodias/trot-dance on 12 November 2017.
- Vansok, C (2011, March-April). Chasing the bad luck away with Khmer Trot Dance. Cambodia Tourism Magazine, Issue 07, Volume 02, 42-43
- MCFA & UNESCO (2004). Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cambodia: A joint publication of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and UNESCO. Cambodia: JSRC Printing House.
