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Angkor Dance Trope, Inc.
The Angkor Dance Troupe-Company Biography
The Angkor Dance Troupe is nationally recognized as one of the most experienced and
accomplished Cambodian dance ensembles performing today. The Troupe was formed in 1986 by
refugees of the Khmer Rouge holocaust who resettled in Lowell, Massachusetts. The 70-member
ensemble performs a diverse repertoire of elegant and courtship rituals from rural Cambodian.
The Troupe has a appeared at venues including First Night Boston, Yale University, The national
Folk Festival, The White house, JFK Boston, Long Island New York, Johnson State College, and
Quick Center for the arts in Connecticut.
The company takes its name from the great Angkor civilization, between 802 and 1432Ad, when
Cambodia was a dominant empire in Southeast Asia. Dance, music, and drama have always
prominent in Khmer society, but these ancient traditions were nearly eliminated when the Khmer
Rough controlled Cambodian in the 1970's. Artists were among deliberated targeted for
execution, it is estimated that close to 90% of the country's tradition bearers perished.
Angkor teachers and performs a body of work developed at the Royal University of Fine Arts
(RUF A) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, considered the world's cultural source and standard bearer
for traditional Cambodian arts. Angkor Artistic Director Mrs. Phousita Huy is master teacher and
former faculty member of the Royal University of Cambodia and toured internationally as a
principal dancer with the Classical Dance Company of Cambodia. Angkor is hosting two masters
from RUF A, Mr. Sophea Sek and Mrs. Y om Peng, for extended residencies in 2001. These
important teachers will appear with the Angkor Dance Troupe at performances throughout the
year.
In 1999, the Angkor Dance Troupe was among a select group of 10 organizations from across the
country to receive the prestigious" Coming Up Taller" award from the President's Committee on
the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. The award is the nation's top
honor for exemplary arts programs that serve at-risk youth. Angkor's artistic excellence was
again recognized by the NEA in 2000 with a grant from the" Creative Links: Positive Alternative
for Youth" initiative.
Cambodian Classical Dance
Classical Cambodian dance has been connected to the sacred rituals of Cambodia for more than
one thousand years. During the great Angkor civilization, dancers performed blessing ceremonies
to bring prosperity to the Kingdom. More recently, classical dancers lived and performed in
Cambodia's royal palace. Elegant and refined, Classical Dance combines highly stylized
positions with gentle movements. Once reserved exclusively for Cambodia's elite, Classical
dance is now performed for audiences around the world and has become a central symbol of the
beauty and spirituality of Cambodian Culture.
Cambodian Folk Dance
Cambodian folk dance is rooted Cambodian and depicts rituals of everyday village life. The
dancers honor skills are typically undervalued in the rush to westernization, such as fishing and
rice farming. Dance motifs are commonly based on local legends and inspired by themes of
natures as well as ceremonies and customs that shape the lives of the Khmer people. Just as
classical dance is rules by a strict form and prescribed language of movement, folk dance is
spontaneous, created for emotional expressions. Costumes are very colorful and reflect the
traditional dress of the particular province or ethnic group within Cambodia where the dance s
originate.
�Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc.
The Angkor Dance Troupe provides an essential service to the community not met by any other
organizations. The Troupe is the only nonprofit cultural group in Lowell, MA, whose soul mission
is to preserve the traditions of Cambodian performing arts. The Angkor Dance Troupe develops
and teaches Cambodian dance, promotes an understanding and appreciation of Cambodian culture,
and provides a positive social and educational outlet for Cambodian youth.
The Drive to Preserve Traditions
The Angkor Dance Troupe was formed in 1986, in Lowell, MA, by Mr. Tim Chan Thou, Angkor's
Program Director, along with a small group of dancers who learned traditional Cambodian dance in
refugee camps along the Thai-Cambodian border. They brought with them to the United States a
strong desire to practice and perform Cambodian dance and a passion to teach others.
Dance and its associated rituals and beliefs have become a way for Cambodian people to
reconstruct a sense of community and culture, particularly for refugees who have resettled in other
countries. Between 1975 and 1979, when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge controlled Cambodia, more
than 90% of the country's artists perished or fled. Today as Cambodia struggles to emerge from
decades of war and poverty, the people look to the rebirth and recreation of dance as testimony to
the endurance of their culture.
Classical Dance - A Treasured Symbol of Cambodian Culture
Classical or court dance is considered by many to be a universal symbol of Cambodian culture. It is
a source of national pride for Cambodians, representing the beauty and spirituality of Cambodian
people. The dance form is particularly meaningful for postwar Cambodians as they work to reclaim
and rebuild a treasured heritage. Many first practiced or saw the art form in the refugee camps. For
children born and raised in the camps or in other countries, it has become a connection to the past
and a way to experience revered ancient traditions.
Folk Dance - A Celebration of Traditional Ways of Life
Folk dances are a way for displaced Cambodians to remember their homeland and to teach their
children about the regional, agricultural, and social forces that shape the lives of Cambodia s rural
population. From folk dances, young Cambodian-Americans learn about geography and a daily life
�in Cambodia that they have never experienced.
Carrying on the Tradition: Engaging our young people
The Troupe holds weekly rehearsals. For four hours every Sunday, members gather to practice. The
method of teaching is practiced as it has been done traditionally, by watching, imitation, and
assistance from teachers to achieve the correct postures and movement.
Cambodian tradition prescribes a particular relationship between student and teacher, a relationship
that is repeated between children and parents, young people and elders. Students are respectful of
teachers and of the knowledge they possess. They appreciate the chance to learn and understand
their responsibility for carrying on their culture.
The young people in the Dance Troupe, most of whom were born here in the U.S., have
increasingly been asking for background on the dances and the history of Cambodia. In the
recently-published book Fractured Identities, Cambodia s Children of War, a young CambodianAmerican man from Lowell suggests his primary source of information about Southeast Asia has
been popular movies:
"I saw Good Morning Vietnam with my uncle two or three times. We don't learn anything about
the history of Cambodia in school here. Just Columbus ... who discovered America ... stuff like that
it just doesn't go in my head."
In response to the clear need for meaningful educational opportunities Angkor's Artistic Director,
Phousita Huy, develops and presents workshops on Cambodian culture as part of her ongoing
instruction. To encourage attendance and participation by the Cambodian community, these
workshops will take place at sites within Lowell's Cambodian-American community. They are
publicized via Khmer-language materials and media as well as through traditional forms of
promotion.
The Need for Master Teachers
The technical mastery involved in Cambodian dance is considerable. Students must perfect an
estimated forty-five hundred basic gestures and movements to perform certain dance pieces.
Because of the losses suffered during the Khmer Rouge, the transmission of traditional knowledge
is a crucial yet challenging process, particularly in communities that have resettled far from their
homeland.
�Dr. Sam-Ang Sam, a master musician and director of the Apsara Ensemble in Arlington, VA,
writes:
"The break in oral tradition has resulted in the loss of more than half of the oldest pieces that had
previously been passed from generation to generation. In the US today there is a shortage of
professional and knowledgeable artists ... this has endangered the preservation of technique, style,
and repertory."
Masters of Cambodian Dance - A Way to Build on Past Successes
Phousita Huy and the other dance masters who work with the Troupe have specialties that allow the
Troupe to develop dance forms not currently being taught to performance level. Say Seuar, for
example, a professor at the University of Fine Arts, is considered one of the best instructors of the
Monkey Dance in the world. The Monkey is a role in the Riemkee, Cambodia's version of the epic
Indian tale, the Ramayana, from which many dances are derived. There is one particular dance
called Swva Pol, which is performed by young boys. Because of its lively acrobatic style, it is a
hugely popular dance at performances. However the lack of students skilled in the dance precludes
its inclusion in many of the Troupes performances. As part of his master residency, Mr. Soy has
held a series of classes on the monkey dance.
Training by dance master Phousita Huy has greatly expanded the Troupe' s technical abilities as
well as the dancers' understanding of the spiritual and ritual functions of dance in Cambodian
culture. The power of the dance is in its cultural connection and the meaning behind the movement
fundamental aspects of the art form which are not always comprehensively taught here in the U.S.
Through her years of experience at the University of Fine Arts, Ms. Huy developed high standards
of training and performance, as well as extensive knowledge ofrepertory, dance history, and
cultural context.
The Angkor Dance Troupe performed in April 1997 for a large multi-ethnic audience at a
Cambodian New Year celebration at the Sheraton in Lowell. Because of the special expertise and
teaching of Phousita Huy, the Troupe was able, for the first time, to present a performance of the
Apsara Dance. The Apsara is a revered classical dance steeped in spiritual tradition and based on
the sculptures that adorn the walls of Angkor Wat. After the performance, Cambodians in the
audience approached members of the Troupe to express how deeply moved and impressed they
were by the Apsara Dance and how grateful they were to be able to experience this type and caliber
�of traditional Cambodian dance.
The responsiveness of the community to the idea of partnering with master dancers is evident in the
reaction to a major public event sponsored by the Lowell Cultural Council presented by the Troupe
in May 1997. The Troupe hosted dance masters from around the U.S. who joined members of
Angkor Dance in an elaborate public performance. The event was enthusiastically received by the
community and is still being re-broadcast on Cambodian cable stations around eastern
Massachusetts. The Troupe experienced a surge in membership after the performance and, for the
first time in its history, had to create a waiting list of young people interested in learning to dance.
For several years, The Angkor Dance Troupe has been selected for inclusion on the New England
States Touring Roster, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts to help build
support for New England s best performing artists. Additionally, the Troupe was selected for
participation in NEF A's Ford Foundation-funded Newcomers Project on the basis of its artistic
excellence and its potential for acting as a key Cambodian arts organization among the network of
Cambodian communities throughout the region.
Sources
"The Dancer in Cambodia", Toni Shapiro, Ph.D., Asian Art & Culture, Winter 1995.
Fractured Identities, Cambodia 's Children of War, James Higgins and Joan Ross, Loom Press,
Lowell, MA 1997.
"Cambodian Culture and Community in America", Sam-Ang Sam, House Island Project, Portland
Performing Arts, Portland, ME, 1996.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc. Collection, 1991-2017
Creator
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Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc.
Source
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Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc. Collection, 1991-2017. UML 5. Center for Lowell History, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA.
Description
An account of the resource
Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit is dedicated to preserving the traditions of Cambodian performing arts while providing a positive social and educational environment for their young members. The collection includes financial records, board of directors records, correspondence, program files, and photographs. <br /><br />View the collection finding aid for more information, <a href="https://libguides.uml.edu/uml5">https://libguides.uml.edu/uml5</a>.<br /><br />Part of the collection is accessible on this site. <br /><br />-------------------- <br />SEADA would like to thank the following individuals for their work in making this collection available online: Monita Chea, Soumeng Chea, Julia Huynh, and Vivien Zhuo. <br /><br />SEADA would like to thank the following individuals for their help with describing photographs, dating items, and identifying individuals featured in photographs and other materials: Linda Chan Flynn, Emaly Horn, Khakhada Horn, Channa Sath, and Tim Thou.
Relation
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The collection finding aid, <a href="https://libguides.uml.edu/uml5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://libguides.uml.edu/uml5</a>.
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Angkor Dance Troupe biography, [2000]
Subject
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Community organization
Dance--Cambodia
Lowell (Mass.)
Nonprofit organizations
Description
An account of the resource
Information about Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc. Includes brief histories of organization, Cambodian Classical Dance, and Cambodian Folk Dance.
Source
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Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc. Collection
Publisher
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Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc.
Date
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[2000]
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UMass Lowell Library makes this material available for private, educational, and research use. It is the responsibility of the user to secure any needed permissions from rightsholders, for uses such as commercial reproductions of copyrighted works. Contact host institution for more information.
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5 p.; 28 x 21.5
Language
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English
Type
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text
Identifier
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uml1_b01_f05_i001
Coverage
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Lowell, Massachusetts
2000-2009
Cambodian Classical Dance
Cambodian Folk Dance
Cambodians
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