Above: apsara dancers at a dinner show in Siem Reap. Right: apsara dancers carved in inner courtyard of Angkor Wat.

Apsara dancing, a longstanding Khmer tradition in Cambodia, was devastated by the Pol Pot years. Dancers were killed in large numbers for being symbols of bourgeoise excess, and now there are few instructors who know the details of the ancient dance. To the rescue have come the French, helping teach young Cambodian women apsara dancing to protect their cultural heritage, based on a philosophy similar to the silk farm in Siem Reap.

Click here to read an article on CNN.COM about a young Cambodian apsara dancer.