Festival season

The opening scene, Euphoria, from Seasons of Migration

The national performing arts festival hit the heights with Season of Migration this afternoon, to a healthy-sized audience at Chaktomuk Theatre. This was a rare performance of the Sophiline Cheam Shapiro-choreographed work by her Khmer Arts Ensemble and the four-act show reminded all present that when classical Cambodian court dance is done well, it looks seamless. The all female troupe glided across the stage, so light on their feet, shimmering in their glittery costumes as they brought to life the gods and goddesses who have to adjust to a new existence and surroundings on earth, experiencing culture shock en route. Most of the audience were Khmer, a few barangs heard about it on the grapevine and turned up, as did the television cameras. We simply don't see enough performances of classical dance in Phnom Penh, certainly of this high standard, and it's high time the Ministry of Culture sought ways of bringing more performances into the public domain.

A scene where the divinities are adjusting to their new life on earth

The final act of Seasons of Migration is called Equilibrium

The deliberate movements and gorgeous costumes characterize classical dance

A scene from the final act of the performance

Dance explained

Sam Sathya in the classical dance Pamina Devi (pic Getty Images)

Last night's screening of Pamina Devi at Meta House was a great insight into classical Khmer dance. Not only for the 90 minute film of the performance of the Cambodian version of Mozart's Magic Flute but for the in-depth descriptions offered by the dance drama's choreographer Sophiline Cham Shapiro, before and after the showing. To understand the nuances and gestures of classical dance, you need someone like Sophiline to explain it. Even Khmers who know the historical stories behind the dances as they learnt them at school in most cases, don't know what all the hand movements mean. But Sophiline, who trained as a dancer for nearly a decade before moving to the US, and who has now returned to bring new and old dances to life with her touring company Khmer Arts Ensemble, is one of the most knowledgeable masters of classical dance and is able to express herself well to a western audience. It was enlightening to hear her discuss Pamina Devi in detail, explaining that her original idea of making the cast mostly male, almost the complete reverse of normal dance dramas, was opposed by the Ministry of Culture and she had to revert instead to an all female cast. It was great to see Sam Sathya, looking as regal as ever, in her role as Sayon Reachny - she is rightly regarded as the leading dancer of her generation and she oozes class in every move she makes. The idea of making classical dance much more accessible and opening a window into this cultural art form that was once the sole realm of the Khmer god-kings is a welcome development by Sophiline and her team at Khmer Arts. More of the same please. There has been a dearth of classical dance performances in the first six months of this year and I find it disappointing that the dancers at the university of fine arts are not given regular opportunities to display their talents in the public arena. They have a large body of classical work to select from and yet no regular performances are staged at venues like the Chaktomuk Theatre. Rant over.

In my google wanderings, I found a 1997 interview with Sam Sathya, which I have posted extracts from below:
Sam Sathya is 28 years old, she's a ballet dancer at the Royal Academy of Cambodia and she interprets dances of Rama and Princess Sita in the epic of Rama for a monthly salary of 20 US dollars. She was born in Phnom Penh, is 1.58 metres in height and 48 kg in weight. She has no special diet. She has been married for two years. "When I was little, I saw Madam Voan Savay interpret the role of Apsara at the National Theater. I knew I would be a dancer." She entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1981, obtained a masters degree in dance in 1989 and joined the ballet. "The situation is not good for all Cambodians. Living conditions are harsh. Efforts to raise the level by learning technologies that are not ours as much as possible. We must also maintain our directory and refine it. We cannot be distracted by the political context, the tensions of the outside, otherwise we stop. Technically, I control my role. The question is how to interpret, making it grow from the inherited form. Until the end of my career, I will work on the combination of technology, which gives the exterior form, and interpretation, which comes from within, ie. the combination of body and heart. To interpret Sita, it should be technical, but I also need to dance with fidelity." As a little girl it was her task to light the lamps that would illuminate the performance area of the troupes that danced and sang of the glory of the Khmer Rouge revolution. Since those early days she has toured throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, and today teaches at the National School of Fine Arts.

Sophiline's rewards

Sophiline demonstrates the fan technique to her troupe of dancers

Sophiline Cheam Shapiro has just been awarded a prestigious honour and a grant of $25,000 by the National Endowment for the Arts (in the US) for her contribution to folk and ethnic arts and as an acknowledgment of her outstanding work with classical Khmer dance. And in running Khmer Arts programs in both Long Beach, California and in Takhmau, just outside Phnom Penh, the money and the recognition will prove very useful. However, its one of numerous awards she has received for her determined efforts to keep alive classical ballet as well as adapt and enrich it with new influences and interpretations. She has choreographed many new works that have been seen on the international stage and these have introduced new audiences to Cambodian court dance around the world. At Takhmau, her Khmer Arts Ensemble has a permanent troupe of 19 dancers plus musicians, vocalists and teachers. Their pavilion-style theater is located on the grounds of her uncle's home, Chheng Phon, a visionary of Khmer artistic culture, who created the theatre celeste with a $300,000 grant from Japan, and who was Minister of Culture fron 1981-1989. Sophiline's troupe of female dancers, aged between 18 and 22, all graduates from the Royal University of Fine Arts, rehearse each day, morning and afternoon, from a program of rarely performed classical standards as well as new works designed by their master teacher. They also have classroom sessions where they study dance from other cultures and delve deeper into the relationship between dance and everyday life. The troupe is a professional touring company, having toured abroad extensively as well as performing regularly in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. They are taking classical dance to new levels, new locations and new audiences and deserve our unstinting support. My thanks to Toni Shapiro-Phim for giving me a guided tour of their Takhmau home and to Sophiline for allowing my intrusion into her rehearsals.

The orchestra and teachers look on as the dancers go through their moves

Rehearsals carry on whilst other dancers await their turn to join in

The surroundings provide a great deal of colour and rural sounds to rehearsals every day

More of the dramatic backdrop at the theater in Takhmau

A feast of hand fans from the Ensemble dancers

Practice makes perfect for this young dancer

An overview from the back of the pavilion-style Khmer Arts theater in Takhmau