Chamroeuntola Chap of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia rehearses. The ballet will perform at Cal State Long Beach’s Carpenter Center on Saturday, Oct. 18. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
Dancers Chansoda Chen, from left, Chamroeuntola Chap and Limsothea Sam strike poses during rehearsal for Royal Ballet of Cambodia performance in Long Beach. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
Chamroeuntola Chap of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia stretches her legs and hands in order to achieve the hyper-extended positions of her traditional dances. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
Chamroeuntola Chap practices the intricate hand gestures that can symbolize flowers or leaves. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
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Chamroeuntola Chap of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia uses motion to tell a story through traditional dances that have been preserved for more than 1,000 years. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
Dancers Chamroeuntola Chap , left, and Chansoda Chen rehearse traditional moves and steps that were once exclusively part of temple and royal life. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
It is said traditional Cambodian dances through history have used thousands of different hand gestures to help tell stories of dragons, gods and goddesses. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
Dancers spend hours bending fingers and toes as part of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia regimen. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
