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YOUTH CAN DANCE
SIX YEARS AFTER UNESCO AWARDED WORLD HERITAGE STATUS TO THE KHMER ROYAL BALLET, TWO YOUNG AND VISIONARY CAMBODIAN DANCERS ARE BUSILY REDEFINING THEIR COUNTRY’S DANCE SCENE, WRITES JOHAN SMITS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDERS JIRAS
BY DEVELOPING A CONTEMPORARY VERSION OF an ancient tradition, while keeping it firmly rooted in its classical form, Chumvan Sodhachivy, better known by her stage name Belle, and Chey Kethya, one of Cambodia’s most renowned classical dancers, are helping safeguard it from a future of tourist-adapted performances in restaurants and hotels. In the process, Cambodian contemporary dance is slowly but determinedly securing its own unique position on the international stage. But despite some huge successes, it has proved to be an arduous journey.
Also known as Cambodian Court Dance, Khmer traditional dance can be traced back to the 7th century, where it began as a funeral rite for kings. During the Angkor empire, from the 9th to 15th centuries, Cambodian classical dance became a medium for communicating with the gods. Temple dancers served as earthly counterparts to the immensely graceful apsaras, or celestial dancers, whose figures still grace the ancient temple walls. It is testament to the relentless efforts of several dedicated organisations like Sovanna Phum (see box on page 88) and a few surviving performers that Khmer classical dance came back to life aft er the Khmer Rouge pulled the plug on the country’s cultural heritage. However, now that Khmer classical dance has reestablished itself, a handful of dancers and choreographers feel the time is right to move Cambodian dance forward and into the realm of the contemporary.
Belle and Chey Kethya are both spearheading the movement. Having performed and attended workshops all over the world, Belle has learned Western techniques, such as ‘pointing’ and high jumps, but feels more inspired by contemporary styles from Indonesia and India, whose cultures she feels are closer to Cambodia. Yet aft er centuries of using a highly codified dancing style that heavily relies on the narrative and is virtually devoid of facial and emotional expression, moving beyond convention is sometimes hard for Khmer audiences to come to terms with. “I feel a little scared about it because we are the first ones,” Belle says of the media attention; though most of this consists of unequivocal praise, any criticism is usually drawn from more conservative government circles.
“I still use the classical movements in my form but execute them with energies from the outside. I now work a lot on abstract things as well as emotional expression,” Chey Kethya explains. For now she’s not too worried about government criticism. “The moral support of my traditional dance masters is more important to me,” she says.
While the style of both 24-year-old dancers still remains rooted in the classical form, their contemporary dance does not necessarily tell stories, is usually performed without elaborate costumes and often challenges the public by exploring broad themes – all very novel in Cambodia. “I want the audience to think about what it is that the dancer is trying to do and communicate,” says Belle.
Both dancers have been performing in packed auditoriums alongside other international artists, experimenting with elements found in styles ranging from hip-hop to pantomime. Their success has not gone unnoticed by other young aspiring dancers. One of them is 20-year-old Leak, currently studying classical dance at the Royal University of Fine Arts and taking private lessons with Belle. He plays it safe and doesn’t tell his teacher at RUFA what he’s up to in his spare time. “They never see me dancing contemporary,” he admits. “They might not agree – it’s very new for Cambodia – but I love the freedom of expression.”
Although Cambodian contemporary dance is catching on, especially with local youth and international audiences, the future still holds many challenges. Finance and the need for a receptive market is one of them and human resources is another. With no contemporary dance school in Cambodia, performers like Belle and Chey Kethya must rely on locally based organisations such as Amrita and the French Cultural Centre to sponsor international workshops and invite foreign choreographers and performers to Cambodia. But in the future, home-grown talent might flll part of that role.
“We have no contemporary dance teachers per se, but there are a few who are on the verge of being able to do so, such as Belle, Chey Kethya and Sophpeap. They are indeed creating works of their own that are verging towards an international level,” says Amrita’s executive director Fred Frumberg. New projects in the works include a tour of their contemporary piece Khmeropédies to Delhi in November 2009. Plans for 2010 include Singapore in May and New York in June.
SEE FOR YOURSELF
Sovanna Phum Association (Next to house no.159A, Street 99, Phnom Penh, tel +855 (0)90 346737, www.shadow-puppets.org) schedules weekly performances of traditional and modern Khmer folk dance and shadow puppet theatre. If you would like to contribute to the future of Cambodian art, Sovanna Phum is in urgent need of any kind of contribution.
ALSO CHECK OUT
Amrita Performing Arts: www.amritaperformingarts.org
CCF– French Cultural Centre: www.ccf-cambodge.org
Cambodian Living Arts: www.cambodianlivingarts.org
Epic Arts: www.epicarts.org.uk
The Khmer Arts Ensemble: www.khmerarts.org
Tiny Toones: www.tinytoonescambodia.com
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