A little slice of Cambodia

A little slice of Cambodia came to my neck of the woods last night in the form of the Cambodian Christian Arts Ministry dance tour of the UK. The tour is nearing its end prior to the group spending a month in France and the Royal Forest of Dean Theatre in Coleford was the venue for this performance, a mixture of Khmer classical and folk dance with some modern elements thrown in for good measure. The tour group was made up of twelve children and three adults and their performance of such classics as the Coconut, Peacock, Fan and Fishing dances were faultless and entertaining for the large audience, which included many children. The CCAM School in Phnom Penh is primarily a home for disadvantaged children and provides the kids with shelter, schooling and promotes the Christian faith. The evening's performance incorporated the Christian message but it wasn't overbearing for a non-believer like myself and it was great to see some of the younger performers meeting up with many of the local children after the show ended. You can find out more about CCAMS here, whilst the tour was sponsored by the SAO Cambodia development agency.