The Tale of Inav and Bosseba by The Royal Ballet of Cambodia

• Enao Bosseba អុីណាវបុស្បា
• 7 Sept. 2000, Chaktomukh Theater, Phnom Penh
• Choreography by Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, assisted by Ms Pen Sok Huon, Ms. Soth Somaly and Mr. Proeung Chhieng.
• Dancers: Sin Sakada (Bosseba), Roth Chanmony (Enao [Inav]), Sam Limsothea (King Kalaing), Chap Chamroeuntola (Sikra), Chamroeun Samphors (The Chief of Thieves), Vuth Chanmoly (King Choraka).

Following ancient Khmer fashion, female dancers play all the male roles in this version of the Panji story where women take the lead: Enao [or Inav, the Prince Inu/​Panji in the Indonesian tale] has snubbed the beautiful Bosseba [Princess Chandra Kirana] when he was introduced to her — ​‘She’s very ugly, I will not look at her’, jeers the wandering prince -, but decides to kidnap her as soon as he hears she has been engaged to King Choraka — ​‘I’ll accept even if it’s not my heart’s desire,’ she boldly tells her father, King Kalaing. Choraka and Enao both fight over the princess until King Kalaing intervenes to separate the two suitors, and Bosseba is the one who ​‘demands’ to be married to a repentant Enao — ​‘You must be very angry with me, since you decided to marry someone else,’ he remarks with a contrite face. [from the synopsis by Khmer Dance Project].

To convey some ​‘Javanese’ feeling, Princess Buppha Devi and the Royal Ballet’s costume designers were inspired by the choreography the Princess’ grandmother, Queen Sisowath Kossamak, supervised for the first Royal Ballet performance of Enao-Bosseba, in honor of Indonesian President Sukarno​’s (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) visit to Cambodia in 1965. ​‘Bung Karno’ [Brother Karno], as Prince Norodom Sihanouk affectionately called the Indonesian leader who had proclaimed his country’s independence on 17 August 1945, visited the Kingdom no less than five times between 1959 and 1965. 

1) Bosseba (Sin Sakada) and Enao (Roth Chanmony), September 2000 Royal Ballet performance [screenshot]. 2) ​‘Furious’, Bosseba accepts King Choraka​’s proposal conveyed by her father Kalaing (Sam Limsothea). 3) One battle scene. 4) The wedding as grand finale. [screenshots].

1) Bosseba (Sin Sakada) and Enao (Roth Chanmony), September 2000 Royal Ballet performance [screenshot]. 2) ​‘Furious’, Bosseba accepts King Choraka​’s proposal conveyed by her father Kalaing (Sam Limsothea). 3) One battle scene. 4) The wedding as grand finale. [screenshots].

1) Bosseba (Sin Sakada) and Enao (Roth Chanmony), September 2000 Royal Ballet performance [screenshot]. 2) ​‘Furious’, Bosseba accepts King Choraka​’s proposal conveyed by her father Kalaing (Sam Limsothea). 3) One battle scene. 4) The wedding as grand finale. [screenshots].

1) Bosseba (Sin Sakada) and Enao (Roth Chanmony), September 2000 Royal Ballet performance [screenshot]. 2) ​‘Furious’, Bosseba accepts King Choraka​’s proposal conveyed by her father Kalaing (Sam Limsothea). 3) One battle scene. 4) The wedding as grand finale. [screenshots].