Classical Cambodian music and dance ensembles found in America bring to life the story of Khmer civilization of Southeast Asia. Classical Cambodian Dance, also known as the Royal Court Dance, is one of Cambodian culture's most precious art forms. Highly stylized performance of mythology, in ancient times the dance served as communication between the king and his gods. In modern times, dances were performed at the court for foreign dignitaries and other privileged visitors. Royal Court Dance almost disappeared during the rule of Pol Pot in the 1970s when performers were forced to imitate the Chinese revolutionary opera style and later when up to 90 percent of the Khmer dancers perished. Survivors and their students have set as their lifelong work the recording and preservation of that complex and intricate art.
Charya Cheam Burt, began her training in classical Cambodian dance in 1982 at the School of Dance at the University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She learned this traditional art form under the direction of the foremost dance masters of Cambodia, all survivors of the Pol Pot Regime. In 1990, she received a teaching certificate and became a faculty member in the same institution. An accomplished dancer, Burt was among the dozen dancers chosen to accompany the Cambodian Prince on his first overseas mission following the royalty's return from exile in 1991. As one of a small number of Cambodian dancers to have studied under the late dance master, Chea Samy, Burt has Khmer classical dance lineage by direct training. Since coming to the United States in 1993, Burt has worked as a teacher and performer in the Santa Rosa area, striving to keep Cambodian tradition alive. She also presents lecture-demonstrations for a variety of audiences, revealing a strong commitment to and love of her art and her Cambodian traditions.
The complexity of this dance tradition, which has some 4,500 basic movements, requires dedication and commitment from an early age and countless years to master. Sameun "Sam" Hin, who is 14, has already been studying in group lessons with Burt for the past four years. Burt feels that Hin is ready for individual instruction so that she can learn the detailed transitions in the movements and feel a connection within the dance, allowing her to flow with grace and rhythm. She has the potential to become a skillful classical dancer, one who someday can continue the tradition.
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