Mermaid dancers in their fishing dress

Until, 1995, Apsara Dances woke up and began their new life.Cambodia revived its Ramayana tradition after 25 years with a performance of the epic at Angkor Wat. Dancers came from six countries as part of a Southeast Asia cultural exchange. The dances are full of meaning, with each gesture symbolizing something, from great concepts such as love and peace to small. A finger to the sky means "today" arms crossed over the chest "very happy," and the left arm stretched out behind the dancer’s right hand held up before the chest with three fingers up and index finger touching the thumb depict the Naga, the great many-headed snake that symbolizes the spirit of the Cambodian people. It was not until 1995, a full sixteen years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, that Cambodians once again witnessed a public performance of apsara dance, at Angkor Wat.During the mid-20th century, it was introduce to the public where it now remains an celebrated icon of Khmer culture often being performed during public events, holidays and for tourists in Cambodia.