Amrita Performing Arts presents
A CONTEMPORARY DANCE PLATFORM
An evening of Cambodian contemporary dance
About the Platform
The contemporary dance platform is a new phase for Amrita Performing Arts in nurturing and furthering Cambodian artist's choreographic development. Following on the momentum of years of artistic collaborations with international choreographers and directors, Cambodian choreographers are tapping into their new found skills as well as their classical training in the creation of new works, as they continue to develop their own Cambodian contemporary dance vocabulary. Through this platform, works by Cambodian choreographers will be created, developed and showcased alongside highlights from our ongoing international collaborations. For this very first platform, three works are presented.
Our choreographer Chumvan Sodhachivy (Belle) is recreating Bach Cello Suite with three female dancers. This piece that was originally developed by Amrita's artists in 2010 in collaboration with Institut Francais du Cambodge. It was later re-choreographed in collaboration with Nam Narim and performed at World Dance Alliance 2012 in Taiwan, Our Roots Right Now in January 2013 in Bangkok, and TARI Festival in July 2013. Belle is re-exploring the dance with three of her fellow dancers.
At the same time Narim is reviving her work, Dream, which she created with Taiwanese dancers at the three-week 2013 Young Choreographer Project she participated in Taiwan in July 2013. Last but not least, our dancer Chy Ratana (Leak) is performing Ferocious Compassion choreographed by Peter Chin, artistic director of Toronto based Tribal Crackling Wind.
The Dance Platform is more than just this performance. As well as the process of creating these pieces, the choreographers and dancers also have the chance to receive artistic feedback from other dance specialists. On Sunday, we are holding an Artist Talk (invitation only) for the wider dance community in Cambodia: Phon Sopheap (Amrita Performing Arts, Cambodia), Arco Renz (Kobalt Works, Belgium) and Peter Chin (Tribal Crackling Wind, Canada) share their experience in contemporary dance choreography. Later in the day the Amrita dancers will have a discussion and feedback session with Indonesian dance expert Dr Sal Murgiyanto, local dance master Proeung Chhieng and choreographers Peter Chin (Tribal Crackling Wind, Canada) and Arco Renz (Kobalt Works, Belgium).
CREDITS
DREAM
Choreographer Nam Narim
Dancers Chey Rithea, Chy Lina, Khon Chansina (Nan), Khon Chan Sithyka
(Mo), Noun Sovitou, Nget Rady
Produced by Amrita Performing Arts
Executive Director Kang Rithisal
Associate Director Hannah Stevens
Production Coordinator Hourt Bunny
Prod. Assistant Chen Borey
Comms Manager Claire Wilcock
Comms Officer Lim Hout Chhay
Finance Officer Mech Keom Eang
Office Assistant Lim Chanboramy
Production photographer Anders Jiras
Production videographer Chuon Sarin
BIOGRAPHIES
Nam Narim (Choreographer) comes from a long family line of esteemed Cambodian classical dancers. Narim began her classical training at the age of nine. She completed the Secondary School of Fine Arts in 2000 and received her BA in choreographic arts from the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh in 2004. She continued her studies at the Korean National University of Arts where she graduated in 2009 with a master's degree in choreography. She is currently a member of the Cambodian National Theatre troupe, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. Narim has performed in a number of new works of contemporary dance with Amrita Performing Arts and was most recently a featured dancer in Stravinsky's Persephone directed by Peter Sellars at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain. Narim was a featured dancer in CRACK – a new work of Cambodian contemporary dance by German choreographer Arco Renz that was awarded the 2012 ZKB Patronage Prize in Zurich Switzerland in September 2012.
Phon Sopheap (Rehearsal Director) Sopheap studied Lakhaon Kaol (Cambodian male masked dance) and completed his training in 2000 and has since toured internationally as a classical dancer. With a strong interest in contemporary dance, Sopheap joined numerous regional dance workshops including the Young Choreographer's Workshop in Surabaya in July 2006 as an Asian Cultural Council recipient where he created his first contemporary solo work entitled A Monkey's Mask. Since then, Sopheap has toured internationally in works by Emmanuèle Phuon, Peter Chin and Arco Renz and was recently a featured performer in a new work of dance theater at Theater Aachen entitled Tomorrow Maybe by German director Ludger Engels. Sopheap was a featured dancer in CRACK – a new work of Cambodian contemporary dance by German choreographer Arco Renz that was awarded the 2012 ZKB Patronage Prize in Zurich Switzerland in September 2012.
Chey Rithea (Dancer) started training in Lakhaon Khaol Cambodian male masked dance in 1999 at the Secondary School of Fine Arts, graduating in 2008. A year later, he pursued his studies at the Faculty of Choreographic Arts, Royal University of Fine Arts in 2009 and will graduate in August 2012. During the course of his studies, Rithea has performed extensively in both classical and contemporary works. He was also trained in Khmer traditional martial arts and was a featured dancer in Amrita's new works Khmeropedies III by Emmanuèle Phuon and Para Human by EkoSupriyanto.
Chy Lina(Dancer) started training in Khmer classical dance in 2002 at the Secondary School of Fine Arts, graduating in 2011. During the course of her studies Lina performed extensively in both classical and contemporary works. She was one of Amrita's dancers in numerous contemporary dance workshops with international collaborators including Arco Renz, Eko Supriyanto and Cynthia Ling Lee and with Cambodian choreographers Chumvan Sodhachivy (Belle) and Nam Narim.
Khon Chansina (Nan) (Dancer) began his training in Lakhaon Kaol (Cambodian classical male masked dance) in 2002, focusing on the role of the monkey, and completed his training in 2011. Throughout his studies he has performed extensively with the Sovanna Phum Khmer Association, an independent dance and puppetry theater in Phnom Penh, where he was given numerous opportunities to participate in contemporary dance workshops. Nan was a featured performer in new works by Khmer / French choreographer Emmanuèle Phuon and Indonesian artist Eko Supriyanto and has toured throughout Southeast Asia.
Khon Chan Sithyka (Mo) (Dancer) began his training in Lakhaon Kaol (Cambodian classical male masked dance) in 2002, focusing on the role of the monkey, and completed his training in 2011. Throughout his studies he has performed extensively with the Sovanna Phum Khmer Association, an independent dance and puppetry theater in Phnom Penh, where he was given numerous opportunities to participate in contemporary dance workshops. Mo was a featured performer in new works by Khmer / French choreographer Emmanuèle Phuon and Indonesian artist Eko Supriyanto and has toured throughout Southeast Asia. Most recently, he was a featured dancer in Stravinsky's Persephone directed by Peter Sellars at the Teatro Real in Madrid.
Nget Rady (Dancer) began his dance training in 1999, specializing in the monkey role of Lakhaon Kaol, the Cambodian classical male masked dance form. As a classical dancer, Rady has toured to Europe and throughout Asia and as a contemporary dancer has performed in numerous works of contemporary dance as well as participated in many contemporary dance workshops. Rady has already created a number of his own works including The Feeling for Street Children. He was a featured dancer in CRACK – a new work of Cambodian contemporary dance by German choreographer Arco Renz that was awarded the 2012 ZKB Patronage Prize in Zurich Switzerland in September 2012. Rady is currently a BA candidate at the Royal University of Fine Arts.
Noun Sovitou (Dancer) started training in Lakhaon Khaol (Cambodian male masked dance) in 2000 at the Secondary School of Fine Arts, graduating in 2010. He is currently pursuing his master's degree at the Faculty of Choreographic Arts of the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, where he will graduate in 2015. During the course of his studies, Sovitou has performed extensively in both classical and contemporary works. He was also trained in Khmer traditional martial arts. He has been a featured dancer in numerous Amrita productions including Khmeropedies III by Emmanuèle Phuon, Olden New Golden Blue by Peter Chin, and Para Human by Eko Supriyanto.
Amrita Performing Arts is an International NGO based in Phnom Penh, with US non- profit status. Amrita is committed to the creation of Cambodian contemporary dance and theater, responding to the creative drive of a young generation of artists who have taken on the task of ushering Cambodia's ancient performing arts heritage into the future. Our work is developed through workshops based on intensive exchange and dialogue with international collaborators. All of our efforts emphasize capacity building as we assist in nurturing a new generation of Cambodian choreographers, directors and practitioners in all areas of arts management.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank the following individual for their contribution to making this platform possible: Arco Renz, Peter Chin, Proeung Chhieng, Sal Murgiyanto, and Anders Jiras. Thanks also goes to the Indonesian Dance Festival (IDF) and The Embassy of Republic of Indonesia for their support.
HOW TO SUPPORT US
Amrita Performing Arts is an international NGO with US non-profit status. We depend on private contributions to ensure that we can continue to support and nurture Cambodia's burgeoning performing arts community. Contributions can be made on line through our Google donation system available through our website.
Amrita Performing Arts
PO Box 1140
128G9 Sothearos Boulevard
Phnom Penh 12301
Tel: 023 220 424
info@amritaperformingarts.org
www.amritaperformingarts.org
You can also visit us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Amrita blog.