Shadow puppetry is powerful and mysterious in its immateriality, capturing the imagination of the people for thousands of years. Even within the structured storylines, every performance leaves room for improvisation. This allows the art form to remain a relevant, living part of the culture of the time, able to respond to the contemporary needs of the population.

Stone reliefs on Cambodia's temples from as far back as the 10th century depict scenes from the epic narrative of Indian origin, the Ramayana. The literary text of the Khmer adaptation of the Ramayana, the Reamker, dates to the 16th or 17th century.

Khmer court dance has been regarded as a female tradition. Women perform the role of king, queen, prince, princess, and demon; expect the roles of monkey, which is played by men. The costumes, headdresses, masks, movements, and gestures identify the characters...

Bibliography of Cambodia arts in English, Khmer, French and Spanish.