Teacher's guide to In My Heart, I Am a Dancer
by Debora Kodish and Deborah Wei
Part One: About Cambodian classical dance
History of Cambodian classical dance: Cambodian classical (or court) dance has become one of the most well-known of Khmer art forms. Highly stylized, this dance tradition combines features of what westerners think of as theater, ritual, storytelling and ceremony. Existing in various forms for centuries, classical dance has been shaped by the history and practices of the royal court and religious observance, by French colonialism and educational practice, and by political forces external to the dance itself.
Dancers had ceremonial roles at the court and temple in past centuries, and dance was seldom seen outside these contexts or by "common people." In the 1950s and 1960s, King Norodom Sihanouk brought Khmer classical dance to the wider world, presenting dancers in European royal courts, at great fairs and World expositions, and in other settings. His daughter, Princess Bopha Devi, was trained in Khmer classical dance from the time she was a child. As a chief dancer in the Khmer Royal Ballet, she became a great advocate for the promotion and preservation of Khmer dance traditions, through the 1960s.
In the 1970s, war ravaged Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge, who came to power in April 1975, led a reign of terror built on the belief that they could build a classless society. All aspects of royal privilege, class-based traditions, private property, and elite status were to be eliminated - including arts associated with the court and temples. Many dancers, musicians, costume-makers and others with experience in court dance were sought out and killed. It is estimated that 80-90% of all Cambodian artists died under the Khmer Rouge. Some dancers were able to hide their identities and endured the Pol Pot years, laboring from sunrise until late into the night, facing terror and intimidation. Mass starvation and murder were normal during this horrible time.
Cambodian dance in America: Cambodian dance did not die with the Khmer Rouge. Carved in the majestic stone at Angkor Wat, the 12th-century temples built by Khmer kings, are images of dancing celestial maidens or apsaras - their faces pitted and scarred now by the bombs and land mines that have torn Cambodia since 1970. Memories of the apsaras endure, and when Chamroeun Yin teaches his students the delicate movements of classical dance, some of the movements carved on that stone are recreated, filled with new life and meaning.
War has laid ruin to Cambodia and sent her people into exile. In refugee camps and "third countries," the lands in which Cambodians have settled, people have struggled to create new lives. Ancient Khmer traditions of dance have helped in this process. Khmer court dances no longer depend upon royalty. In the refugee camps of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the dance became a symbol of hope, beauty, and enduring Khmer values. Chamroeun Yin was one of many who seriously learned dance in the refugee camps. Now, in American cities where Khmer peoples have settled, young children learn Cambodian court dance, and it is understood as a symbol of Cambodian culture and identity and a tool for building community and self-knowledge. Khmer classical dance has changed over time - moving from being a matter of royal prerogative to being an ethnic symbol. But when Khmer classical dance is presented in a school classroom, it becomes something else entirely.
Folk arts are seldom transportable, or easily excerpted from their contexts. It may at first seem easy to present a "chunk" of culture through folklore, but the questions that follow should be reminders that the process of extraction often skews the form so that it becomes something else entirely.
What Cambodian dance is not: Classical Cambodian dances are not known by all Cambodian people. All Cambodian youth in your class or community have not necessarily had experience with or exposure to these dances. They may know nothing about these arts; they may not be able to explain the traditions embedded in the dance forms. They may not even like the arts. These are not the only art forms created by Cambodian people locally (contemporary dance music, and many other traditions exist). These are not Cambodian arts as they would have been practiced in Cambodia before war, famine and resettlement. Changes reflect history, economics, aesthetic preferences, current styles, and individual creativity (and always have); though connected to ancient traditions, these dances are not (and never have been) pure, unchanging. The terms folk, popular, and elite arts, and many terms used in America to characterize art and culture are actually not especially useful in approaching Khmer traditions. These are not innocent art forms; they reflect conscious choices not to bow to assimilation. In many cases, those who maintain these traditions do so at considerable cost.
What Cambodian dance may be: The dances are complex symbolic forms with many meanings, functions and uses. Performance of these dances can be seen as acts of cultural resistance and survival. They exist partly in response to community need. They have very different meanings to different people, Khmer and non-Khmer.
