Robaim Suwann Machha
(The Dance of the Golden Mermaid)

The Dance of the Golden Mermaid is an excerpt from the great epic poem, the Ramayana, also known as the Reamker. The Ramayana is rich with heroes and villains, gods and goddesses, demons and tales of love and war. It is comparable to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

The story depicted in the dance is of the great white monkey general Hanuman leading his army on a mission to rescue Sita, the wife of the god-king Rama, who has been abducted and imprisoned on the island of Lanka, home to the king of the giants, Ravana. In order to carry out the attack on Lanka, Hanuman and his army must construct a causeway to the island. The clever Suwann Machha, the Golden Mermaid, and her own army of fish, constantly disrupts this daunting task.

Cambodians enjoy love interests in almost all of their stories. In this case, Hanuman seeks out Suwann Machha, courts her and makes an alliance to effect the attack on Lanka and rescue Sita.

While this repertoire is well within the capabilities of adult dancers, younger dancers often perform it. Such was the case in 1998 when our Robbie and Visal performed the dance at George Mason University for its annual observance of International Students Week.