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Norodom Buppha Devi ( km, នរោត្តម បុប្ផាទេវី ; 8 January 1943 – 18 November 2019) was a Cambodian princess, dancer, director of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, senator, and Minister of Culture and Fine Arts. She was the daughter of
Buppha Devi finished her high school education at Lycée Preah Norodom in Phnom Penh. As a young princess, her grandmother, Queen Sisowath Kossamak, chose her to become a dancer early in her life. At the age of 15, she became the premier dancer of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. At the age of 18, she was granted the title of ''
Biography of the Princess at Norodom Sihanouk's website
* This 1962 performance at the Royal Palace was filmed by the United States Information Service (USIS) with the permission of Queen Kossamak. {{DEFAULTSORT:Norodom, Buppha Devi Cambodian princesses 1943 births 2019 deaths Cambodian dancers Cambodian Theravada Buddhists Children of prime ministers of Cambodia House of Norodom People from Phnom Penh Prima ballerinas Daughters of kings
Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk (; km, នរោត្តម សីហនុ, ; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, Norodom Sihanouk filmography, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in vari ...
and the late Neak Moneang Phat Kanhol, the elder sister of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and a half-sibling of the current King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni ( km, នរោត្តម សីហមុនី, ; born 14 May 1953) is King of Cambodia. He became King on 14 October 2004, a week after the abdication of his father, Norodom Sihanouk. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihano ...
. Her official title was Her Royal Highness Samdech Reach Botrei Preah Ream Norodom Buppha Devi ( km, សម្តេចរាជបុត្រីព្រះរៀមនរោត្តម បុប្ផាទេវី).
Name
Buppha Devi derives fromPali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
words ''puppha'' (បុប្ផា), meaning flower, and ''devi
Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
The conce ...
'' (ទេវី), meaning goddess. The name is also romanised as "Bopha Devi" or "Bophadevi".
Life and career
Buppha Devi finished her high school education at Lycée Preah Norodom in Phnom Penh. As a young princess, her grandmother, Queen Sisowath Kossamak, chose her to become a dancer early in her life. At the age of 15, she became the premier dancer of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. At the age of 18, she was granted the title of ''prima ballerina
A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...
''.Milton Osborne, ''Sihanouk, Prince of Light, Prince of Darkness.'' Silkworm 1994
She then toured the world as the principal dancer of the Royal Ballet with Queen Kossamak, performing in public. In the past the ballet had been performed only before royalty to commemorate their dynastic ancestors and to honour the gods. For her dancing ability, her father Norodom Sihanouk cast her in his first feature-length film ''Apsara
An apsaras or apsara ( sa, अप्सरा ' lso ' pi, अक्चरा, translit=accharā) is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hinduism and Buddhist culture. They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, literat ...
'' in 1966.
Buppha Devi served as Deputy Minister of Culture and Fine Arts from 1991–1993, advisor to the Royal Government in charge of Culture and Fine Arts from 1993–1998, Vice President of the Cambodian Red Cross from 1993–1997, President of the Cambodian-Chinese Association in the year 2000 and the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts from 1998–2004.
Personal life
Buppha Devi married her first husband in 1959 at the age of fifteen. Her four total marriages produced five children: 1) Norodom Norinractevong 2) Sisowath Monichivann * Princess Sisowath Moni Kossoma (born 1960) * Princess Sisowath Kalyan Tevi (born 1961) 3) Bruno Jacques Forsinetti * Keo Chansita Forsinetti (born 1965). She is now known as Norodom Chansita 4) Sisowath Chivanmonirak * Prince Sisowath Chivannariddh (born 1968) * Prince Sisowath Veakchiravuddh (born 1973)See also
*Voan Savay
Voan Savay is a Cambodian dancer and director of performing arts, considered as "the last Apsara of Cambodia" and a "legendary former ''prima ballerina'' of the Cambodian Royal Ballet".
Biography A child prodigy of the Khmer Royal Ballet ...
, ''prima ballerina'' of the Khmer Royal Ballet
References
External links
Biography of the Princess at Norodom Sihanouk's website
* This 1962 performance at the Royal Palace was filmed by the United States Information Service (USIS) with the permission of Queen Kossamak. {{DEFAULTSORT:Norodom, Buppha Devi Cambodian princesses 1943 births 2019 deaths Cambodian dancers Cambodian Theravada Buddhists Children of prime ministers of Cambodia House of Norodom People from Phnom Penh Prima ballerinas Daughters of kings