The Legend of Mera. (Photo: Pete Pin, Royal Ballet of , BAM)  ballet review What the Body Remembers at Le Poisson Rouge contrasted with tradi- tional music at Asia Society. Sopheap Pich’s visually and emotionally arresting rattan sculpture was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum. Cambodian film, dance classes, and Karen Greenspan panel discussions took place throughout New York City, filling out a vibrant schedule of AtthebeginningofAprilIbouncedfromevent events. to event to catch the first offerings of the Sea- This celebration of Cambodian culture son of Cambodia festival in New York City, evoked the regenerative powers of the which lasted through May. It manifested the – celestial dancers considered to be guardians miraculous rebirth of Cambodian culture of the Cambodian people. Bedecked with jew- since its near annihilation by the genocidal els and ornamental headdresses, the apsara Pol Pot regime of the late 170s. Given that dancing images are carved into the walls, most Cambodian master artists, choreogra- pillars, and niches of the ancient temples in phers, and musicians are survivors of the the tangled jungles of , retelling the Cambodian genocide – “what the body re- jewels of Khmer literature and performing members”alongwiththespirit’sperseverance ancient fertility rites. As an image of fertili- has staved off the decimation of the country’s ty,symbolic of the welfare of the Khmer king- traditional culture. What breathes new life dom, they were believed to be the embodi- and currency into the work of today’s Cam- ment of the life-creating energy generated in bodian artists is their courage to face their concert with the Khmer monarch. (Khmer is past and present as they create an authentic pronounced K-my and refers to the majority expression that honors both. ethnic group in Cambodia.) In Cambodia the New Year is celebrated in The Khmer Empire of Angkor stretched April with three days of traditional festivities from 02 to 142 C.E. and was a golden age that include purification ceremonies and vis- of Cambodian wealth and power, noted for its to Buddhist temples and pagodas to make ambitious temple-building projects and vast offerings and donations. Season of Cambodia irrigation and waterway networks. Today, was conceived as a New Year’s Festival, offer- Angkor is a massive temple complex and na- ing some of the finest examples of Cambodi- tionalparkcoveringtwohundredsquarekilo- an art and culture. Because it is the height of meters in northern Cambodia. Considered to the dry season, just before the monsoon rains be one of the seven architectural wonders of bring renewed life to Cambodia’s farmlands, the world, Angkor had nearly three million the annual New Year’sFestival centers around visitors last year, according to a June 2012 re- renewal and fertility. port by BBC News Asia. Season of Cambodia opened with a ritual at During the Angkorean period, thousands of theRubinMuseuminwhichtwoorange-robed apsara dancers were employed by the royal Cambodian Buddhist monks sat cross-legged court to serve in the temples by performing atop a dais chanting prayers and sprinkling offertory rites to the ancestral spirits on be- white flower petals upon those gathered be- half of the kingdom to ensure harmony be- fore them, giving a palpable aura of ceremo- tween the country and the spiritual world – nytotheoccasion.Thefestivalcontinuedwith especially in regard to rain and fertility. This dance performances at the Brooklyn Academy applied in the literal sense as they also served of Music, Joyce Theater, and Guggenheim the timeless function of providing a royal Museum. Arts Brookfield in the World Finan- harem for the king. cial Center’s Winter Garden featured shadow The Khmer Empire at Angkor fell to the puppetry. Cambodian rock music presented Thaisin141.Atthattimemanyapsaradancers ©201KarenGreenspan  were seized and taken to Thailand. But some that they were spared from death for the ex- royal dancers continued the court dance tra- press purpose of keeping the Khmer dance dition in Cambodia on a greatly reduced scale alive.Somerevivalandpreservationworkwas even into modern times. During the mid- started in the refugee camps. HRH Princess twentieth century the monarchy continued Norodom Buppha Devi, who was the Cambo- the tradition of its classical dancers perform- dian Royal Ballet’s prima ballerina during the ing sacred dances for the deities to ensure 160s, explained, “Because the classical dance blessings for the land and its people. When was never notated, choreography was main- droughtstruckCambodiain165and167,del- ly passed physically from the teacher to the egations of peasant farmers beseeched King young dancers – the restoration process has Sihanouk to order performances of the cere- relied largely on the memories of . . . senior monial dances. masters.” Reconstruction occurred by passing CivilwarbrokeoutinCambodiainthe160s remembered steps “from teacher to teacher, and civil strife intensified along with Ameri- teacher to dancer, and dancer to dancer.” The can and South Vietnamese invasions until the survivors reconstructed the dance and so be- communistKhmerRougetookoverin175.In- gan to reconstruct themselves. fluenced by ’s Cultural Revolution, Pol In 11 the royalty returned to Cambodia Pot and his army were system- and brought back the Royal Ballet of Cambo- atic and ruthless in pursuing their political dia in both the role of performing sacred aim of wiping out all vestiges of the monar- dances for the country and as an ambassador chy – including classical court culture and andrepresentativeofCambodia’sculturalher- performance as well as capitalism and foreign itage. Today, dancers are trained at the Royal influence. University of Fine Arts in and In their attempt to erase society’s memory court dance has successfully moved out of and return to what they called “Year Zero,” the palace and into society. In 200 UNESCO they tortured and killed dancers, artists, doc- awarded Cambodian classical dance, known tors, teachers, intellectuals, and profession- as Robam Borann in the , the als while much of the population was forcibly status of a masterpiece of oral and intangible starved, marched, relocated, and separated heritage of humanity owing in large part to from family and friends, turning Cambodia the devoted work of HRH Princess Norodom into a vast labor camp in the jungle. There are Buppha Devi, as the Minister of Culture and estimates that 0 percent of Cambodian per- Fine Arts from 1 to 2004. She continues formers and dance teachers were murdered her work with the Royal Ballet as chief cho- or starved to death. reographer and tireless champion. As part of The precious few who miraculously man- the festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music pre- aged to survive either posed as peasants in the sented the Royal Ballet of Cambodia perform- countryside or made their way to refugee ing The Legend of Apsara Mera, choreographed camps along the Thai-Cambodian border. The by the Princess, based on two Khmer creation Khmer Rouge were overthrown in January myths. 17 and finally the population was free to Cambodian classical dance is slow and move about. Many returned to home villages smooth with a continuous, graceful energy. orcities,butmanyfledthecountryandformed There are long periods of standing in place communities abroad in France, the United with one foot raised while small movements States, and elsewhere. of the hands, feet, and head continue. Ac- The surviving dancers channeled their en- cordingtoDr.ToniShapiro-Phim,culturalan- ergies into the transformative work of reviv- thropologistspecializinginCambodiandance, ing the classical Khmer dance from the brink “With fingers curled back into a half-moon, of extinction. Some survivors even believed toesflexedupward,andthelowerbackarched, 40 ballet review Khmer Arts Ensemble in Sophiline Cheam Shapiro’s A Bend in the River. (Photo: Khvay Samnang) the dancing body . . . reflects the curvilinear the male, the female, the monkey, and the gi- form of the serpent.” The dancers often trace ant–wereperformedbyfemaledancers.Since a figure-eight floor pattern “recreating and the mid 100s, men have performed the mon- honoring the image and spirit of the naga,” or key role and have brought their own quality sacred serpent, which represents the spirit to it. Young dancers are selected for training andimmortalityofCambodiathroughitscon- to perform one specific role by their dance trol of rain and fertility. The naga, so promi- master. In this culture, which deeply vener- nent in Cambodian myth, is also illustrated in ates its elders and worships the spirits of its temple carvings and architecture. ancestors, young dancers submit to hours of A signature aspect of Khmer dance is the stringent group lessons followed by hours of use of four basic hand gestures that can be privatelessonsattheirmasterteacher’shome. linked in some 4,500 combinations. These ges- Today,there is an urgent imperative to impart tures function linguistically with a narrative and preserve this fragile dance heritage be- vocabulary.Thehighlystylized,extremewrist fore the collective memory of the remaining and finger flexion requires that dancers con- masters disappears. tinually stretch their fingers backward – al- Cambodian classical dance is accompanied most to the wrist. Children are selected for by a pin peat musical ensemble, a gamelan- dancetrainingatanearlyagewhiletheirmus- type, all male percussion ensemble including cles and bones are very supple. drums, , bells, , and the For centuries all of the four dance roles – (an oboelike reed instrument). The narration summer 2013 41 and dialogue of the dance-dramas used to be com” – if there is such a thing. The dancing chanted by a female chorus of former dancers. incorporated Cambodian classical elements The loss of so many dancers during the Cam- (hand gestures, one-legged stance with knee bodian genocide forced a change in the com- and foot flexed backward, a low serpentine position of the chorus today. walkinpliéonflexedfeet),moderndance,and * butohlike expressionism. The Joyce Theater presented the Khmer Arts As I watched these exquisite performers, I Ensemble performing A Bend in the River, the thought again about “what the body remem- masterly work of the highly accomplished bers.” Their formative training in the Cam- Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, in collaboration bodian classical dance technique and roles with composer Him Sophy and sculptor has indelibly marked their dancing and I Sopheap Pich (all contemporary Cambodian only became aware of it when they were not artistsandsurvivors).Thepiecewrestleswith exclusively performing Cambodian classical notions of revenge as presented through a movements. I don’tthink I have ever seen such Khmerfolktale.CheamShapirousedherfoun- physical and emotional intensity and core dation in Cambodian classical dance (she was powerinagroupofdancers–somethingabout trained by and danced with the Royal Univer- that monkey role! No matter how far the cho- sity of Fine Arts in Cambodia) as a jumping- reography veered away from the traditional off point from which she pulled, bent, and repertory, “what the body remembers” has stretched to create an authentic yet current createdaperforminginstrumentintheseAm- Cambodian expression through dance. All the rita dancers that truly reminds one of their elements – the magical set evocative of shim- past. mering rapids (constructed out of IV-tubing); * props (a kinetic rattan crocodile sculpture); Under the giant palm trees in the glass cathe- the simple yet elegant costumes; the lighting, dral-like space of Brookfield Properties’ Win- music, narration, and finely tuned dancing – ter Garden, the Cambodian Shadow Puppet worked together to create an integrated, au- Troupe of Wat Bo immersed the audience in thentic Cambodian expression. exotic sights and sounds as they performed a Cheam Shapiro’s feminist voice spoke classic tale containing elemental human through her narrator’s well-used wry humor. themes. She is a remarkable example of an artist, hu- The Wat Bo Troupe was founded by a Cam- man being, and woman negotiating her life bodianBuddhistmonk,theVenerablePinSem and art both in Cambodia and in the United in 12 while he was still living in a refugee States as she pioneers a Cambodian dance id- camp on the Thai border. Because he was a iom that straddles old and new, East and West practicing artist before becoming a monk, he using a classical as well as innovative vocab- was able to recreate the art of shadow pup- ulary. petry while in the camp by drawing from The Amrita Performing Arts dancers per- childhood memories. He invited twenty-five formed My Mother and I and Olden New Golden monks to join the project and they eventual- Blue at the Abrons Arts Center at the Henry ly located their troupe at a pagoda (religious Street Settlement. The dance works, respec- temple) in – the heart of the an- tively by Chey Chankethya and Peter Chin, ex- cient kingdom of Angkor. ploredthetensionbetweenindividualismand Shadow Puppetry, or Sbeik Thom, is conformity, tradition and experimentation, thought to have developed during the pre- and preservation of the past while orienting Angkor period (before 02 C.E.), as there are toward the future. The dancers spoke, sang, bas reliefs from Cambodian seventh-century acted, and danced the repertory as “total the- temples depicting women puppeteers with ater” that felt like watching a Cambodian “sit- their figurines. In this highly evolved theater 42 ballet review form,thepuppetsthemselvesareworksofart, declaring, “You are both the same. You must intricately hand-carved from cowhide, re- learn to forgive one another.” And so, renun- sembling dark filigree panels. A large white ciation of the ego wins the day. screen is traditionally lit from behind with a The final section of the performance was a bonfire of burning coconut husks. Here, in the retelling of a scene from the myth – Winter Garden at the World Financial Center the Cambodian version of the famous - inlowerManhattan,aprojectedbonfirelitthe yana epic. This classic war of men over an ab- screen across which the puppets were manip- ducted woman, in which the gods get in on the ulated behind as well as in front. action, is a tension-filled battlefield drama SbeikThomisconsideredtobeasacredthe- with magic spells, evil serpents, valiant ea- ater form, which is an act of worship, and so gles, pathos, and victory. it began with a blessing ceremony or Sampeah Beautiful as the puppets are, the real show Kru, replete with burning incense and sprin- occurred beneath them. The puppeteers are kling holy water to venerate ancestral teach- all finely trained performers of Lakhaon Kaol, ers. Following the ritual, there was a brief en- or classical male masked dance. Below the actment of the Battle between the Good and the hand-held puppets these puppeteers per- Bad Monkey – basically, a battle between good formed highly athletic choreography filled and evil in which good prevails (but with a with quivering bourrées, powerful squats Buddhist slant). The Good Monkey brings the andlunges,one-leggedbalances,andthechar- captured Bad Monkey before the wise Hermit acteristic rhythmic hyperextension of the el- for a judgment on their grievance. Contrary bows as they paraded warring gods, men, and to my expectations, the wise Hermit rules that animal puppets across the screen. Particular- the Bad Monkey must be forgiven and freed, ly exciting was when the puppeteers peeled

The Cambodian Shadow Puppet Troupe of Wat Bo. (Photo: Anders Jiras) summer 2013 4 the two-dimensional forms off the screen for posed to be a ballet dancer.” Perhaps it was a three-dimentional engagement on the stage. this early assertion of her strong will – in- The dancers performed a “monkey duet” with sisting on pursuing serious dance training to the typical crouches, scratching, preening, become a performing artist, in spite of her fa- ther’s expectations to the contrary, that has given her the fortitude and commitment to breathe life back into the traditional dance of the royal court that was all but extin- guished just thirty-four years ago. Therewasapresentationofafew short video excerpts of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia from as far back as 160, including footage of HRH performing a solo. This was a teas- ing glimpse of the archival work of the Khmer Dance Project, initiated to document the classical Khmer ballet through filmed interviews and performances to keep the lega- Angkor Wat. (Photo: Karen Greenspan) cy of the surviving masters alive. nitpicking, and joking around. Another treat The audience responded warmly to a lec- was when, with drawn swords, they danced a ture-demonstration by members of the Royal Cambodian duel. Ballet showing the four roles and how each of Two narrators (one male and one female) them would portray the same emotional state standing on opposite sides of the stage, chant- (happiness, sadness, anger, love). ed the story while the classical pin peat en- At one point in the discussion, the Princess semble played an energetic musical accompa- revealed that her exceptional experience of niment. One of the most poignant moments knowing and having performed all four dance was the grief-filled lament sung by the female roles gave her the unique ability to recollect narrator as Rama discovered his mortally and reconstruct them, when so many of her wounded brother on the battlefield. “I am so masters and contemporaries had perished sad. I crumble with unspeakable pain.” What along with their knowledge and memories. In could resonate more universally than that? Sellars’ introductory remarks about the his- * tory of Cambodian court dance, he explained HRH Princess Norodom Buppha Devi stepped that in ancient times the royal family was be- onto the stage of the Bruno Walter Auditori- lievedtobeappointedbythegodsasguardians umattheNewYorkPublicLibraryforthePer- of the dance. HRH firmly shoulders this re- forming Arts for an interview with renowned sponsibility and makes no apologies about the Peter Sellars, the iconoclastic theater and fact that her first priority regarding dance in opera director. The Princess is a petite, de- Cambodia is to save the existing traditional mure, septuagenarian and was dressed in her ballet heritage. modest uniform – a navy blue ankle-length * skirt with matching shirt/jacket. Upon entering the Brooklyn Academy of Mu- During the sometimes humorous conversa- sic Howard Gilman Opera House for the per- tion, she shared her personal stories of be- formance of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, I coming a dancer in the Royal Ballet, recount- was immediately invited into a sacred realm ing how “the daughter of a king was not sup- with the scent of burning incense on a can- 44 ballet review The Legend of Apsara Mera. (Photo: Pete Pin, Royal Ballet of Cambodia, BAM) dlelit altar located downstage right. Two fe- with legs folded underneath, next to the pin male elder dance masters entered along with peat musicians. The calm, cathedral-like echo the chorus, musicians, and the four principal of their narrative chant bled into the haunt- dancers to perform the Sampeah Kru ceremo- ing, reedy song of the sralai (oboelike instru- ny. They knelt before the altar, praying to the ment)asitwieldeditsmesmerizingpowerlike spirits of the artists and teachers who came a snake charmer over the dancers and the au- before and requesting protection and inspi- dience. The dancers’ gently pulsating elbows, ration during the performance. The two mas- moving into and out of hyperextension, ac- ters then took the headdresses for each of the companied by the feet alternately thumping four roles from the altar and ceremonially the ball of the foot and then the heel, repli- placed them on the heads of the assigned per- cated and magnified the hypnotic rhythm of formers – giving them license to inhabit the the drumbeat. roles. And so began the performance. The company performed The Legend of Robam Borann, or Cambodian classical Apsara Mera – a ballet choreographed by HRH dance,isadanceofelegantsubtlety.Thedanc- Princess Buppha Devi, based upon two Khmer ers embody the gods and goddesses with the origin myths: “The Churning of the Sea of quality of effortless composure and serenity, Milk” and “The Legend of Kambu and Mera.” seamlessly transitioning through a continu- “The Churning of the Sea of Milk” retells an ous flow of sometimes barely perceptible ancient Indian story depicted in a bas-relief movements. in the temple known as Angkor Wat. Thefoursingersofthechorus(twomenand In a post-performance “Artist Talk,” the two women) sat on the floor, downstage left, Princess explained it was her idea to create a summer 2013 45 ballet from this particular myth as it was not and braid, as well as gold-tone headdresses part of the traditional ballet repertory. The and substantial amounts of golden jewelry. piece builds to a climactic tableau in which Before a performance the slow laborious pro- the gods and demons enact their eternal pow- cess of dressing the dancers requires many er struggle through a “tug of war” – clutching skilledhandstying,pinning,andattimeseven a giant naga which churns the waters of the sewing the performers into the elaborate fab- ocean intoa foam producing the divineapsaras rics, accessories, and headdresses. as well as amrita – the elixir of eternal life. This offering from the Royal Ballet of Cam- This leads into another episode from the bodia was like looking at an exquisite jewel tradition, depicting the encounter between box. As with any treasure, the discovery of its the Apsara Goddess Mohini and , God of provenance added to the value of the experi- the Giants, for the coveted elixir of immor- ence. tality. After a few amusingly restrained at- * tempts to steal the silver cup from the Giant, The morning after the ballet performance I the self-possessed Goddess obtains the cup headed over to the Mark Morris Dance Cen- after blinding the Giant with the toss of a ter, across the street from the BAM Opera sparkling crystal ball. House, to observe the master dance class giv- The opening story’s narrative serves as a en by the Royal Ballet’s master teacher and prequeltothesecondact,“TheLegendofKam- choreographer, Proeung Chhieng, and the bu and Mera,” a love story in which Mera, Princess. Initially the company dancers per- queen of the apsaras, who has been reincar- formed their set training sequences, codified nated on earth, falls in love with the Sage rituals from which the teachers and dancers Prince Kambu. Out of their union, and even never deviate. One of these movement phras- themeldingoftheirnames,Kambuja(theSan- esincludedacomplexstretchdonewhileseat- skrit word for the Khmer kingdom) is born. ed on the floor, in which the wrist and fingers This happens quite literally on stage when the are wrapped backwards around the opposite twoloversimperceptiblyseemtomultiplyinto ankle which is crossed over the opposite bent an entire nation of apsaras and princes (rep- knee, showing the use of multiple body parts resented by the full company of dancers). This to assist in stretching others. re-enactment of the birth of their nation is a I marveled at how a master teacher homed powerful visual experience. in on one of the company soloists, attending In the “Artist Talk” the Princess also relat- to the dancer’s coaching by sitting on the floor ed how the role of theApsara princess was cho- next to her – continuously molding the danc- reographed specifically for her in 162 by her er’s body with her hands, as the dancer pro- grandmother, Queen Kossamak. The Queen ceeded through the prescribed movement created the dance movements and designed sequence. Later, this same master was called the costume and headdress to resemble the ap- upon to demonstrate the giant’s role. This sarastonecarvingsatAngkorWat.QueenKos- woman, who looked to be over 40-years-old, samakwasalsoresponsiblefortheinnovation with a bit of extra girth around her middle of men performing the monkey role (origi- andaperceptible“no-nonsense”manner,gave nally performed by women – as with all the a “full-out” performance of the character, ex- other roles). To accomplish this she brought uding physical and emotional strength. master teachers from Lakhaon Kaol into the Then we were invited onto the dance floor palace to train male dancers for the role. and treated to these same movement patterns The richness and intricacy of the costumes whichpromoteextremehyper-mobilityof the is dazzling. The dancers are transformed into hands, fingers, elbows, hips, and lower back – radiant divinities wearing brocaded silks and hallmarks of the Cambodian classical dance velvets decorated with golden sequins, beads, vocabulary. The master teacher and the com- 46 ballet review pany members circulated through the group pecting venue subscribers – drawn to be gently prodding the unaccustomed Western touchedbythisculturethatisinsomerespects bodies into semicorrect positions, creating a a world apart, and in other ways much like dawning awareness of the unique demands of our own. this dance form. Chey Chankethya, from Am- I spoke with Vanna Sann, marketing and rita Performing Arts translated the instruc- communications manager for the festival, to tions while encouraging, “Just keep smiling!” ask if Season of Cambodia would be touring Even the Princess got in on the action when elsewhere. He replied that several cities had she daintily hiked up her long, navy-blue made requests but that there were no plans skirt and squatted down to give a participant as yet. I hesitated and then offered my sug- a “hands-on” adjustment. HRH expounded gestion: “I hope you will take Season of Cam- upon the intricacies of the dance hand ges- bodia back home to the Cambodian people.” tures, giving an animated demonstration. At I was heartened by his response that it was the end of her explanation she taught the the first priority of the festival producers. He ending prayer position for the hands – like a continued that they already have plans to “révérence”inballetclass.Afterwards,shegave televise the performances on Cambodian TV everyone the thumbs up gesture and said (in as well as to produce live performances in English), “Good job!” three principal cities. I noted, one last time, the familiar faces It is most fitting that the Cambodian peo- of this group I had become a part of during ple, who are piecing together a country whose these weeks of festival events. We were danc- cultural legacy was brought to the brink of ers, artists, museum and theater personnel, destruction, have the opportunity to rebuild producers, supporters, reporters, scholars, and be rebuilt through this celebration of the visionaries, Cambodian diaspora, and unsus- creative human spirit.

Reference Works Burridge, Stephanie and Fred Frumberg, eds. Be- Hamera, Judith. “An Answerability of Memory: yond the Apsara. London and New Delhi: Routledge, ‘Saving’ Khmer Classical Dance.” TDR, vol. 46, no. 2010. 4, 2002: 65-5. Cravath, Paul. Cambodian Royal Court Dances. Vi- Shapiro, Sophiline Cheam, and Toni Shapiro. deocassette. 15. PaminaDevi:NewDimensionsinCambodianDance.DVD. ——.“The Ritual Origins of the Classical Dance 2007. Drama of Cambodia.” Asian Theatre Journal, vol. , Shapiro, Sophiline Cheam. Pamina Devi: A Cambo- no. 2, 16: 17-20. dian Magic Flute. DVD. 200. ——. Earth in Flower: Divine Mystery of the Cambo- Shapiro-Phim, Toni. “Cambodia’s Seasons of Mi- dianDanceDrama.HolmesBeach,Fla.:DatASIA,Inc., gration.” Dance Research Journal, vol. 40, no. 2, 200: 2007. 56-7. Dance of Tears by Apsara Productions. Film. 14.

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