Cambodian Art and Culture Preservation Program
The Spirit of Khmer Angkor (SKA) Dance and Music
The Spirit of Khmer Angkor Classical Dance Program (SKA) began in September 2003, providing activities including instruction in traditional/classical Cambodian dance, art and music, and culturally focused field trips. It allows young people to express themselves and connect with others using the traditional cultural outlets of art, music, dance, and writing. Opportunities are provided for program participants to perform in public venues. The dancers and musicians are taught by qualified instructors, and the program is managed by qualified administrators.
The SKA program not only allows the sharing of the Cambodian culture with the community at large, but also provides public recognition for the youth’s efforts, thus increasing their self-esteem and school performance. In addition, volunteers from the community assist with these groups. These activities provide a safe haven and have a positive influence on the participants, and also help preserve the unique Cambodian culture for future generations.
The SKA program currently has about 30 dancers and 7 musicians. They practice on Sundays from 1-4pm at CAA's Main Office, 2390 Pacific Ave.
The SKA program not only allows the sharing of the Cambodian culture with the community at large, but also provides public recognition for the youth’s efforts, thus increasing their self-esteem and school performance. In addition, volunteers from the community assist with these groups. These activities provide a safe haven and have a positive influence on the participants, and also help preserve the unique Cambodian culture for future generations.
The SKA program currently has about 30 dancers and 7 musicians. They practice on Sundays from 1-4pm at CAA's Main Office, 2390 Pacific Ave.
History of the Spirit of Khmer Angkor
Throughout much of Cambodia’s history, cultural knowledge has been passed from one generation to another exclusively through the master/apprentice relationship. In 2003, CAA attempted to continue this tradition in the United States by forming a group called The Spirit of Khmer Angkor (SKA) to practice Cambodian classical dancing. During its beginning stages, approximately 40 students and three volunteer teachers expressed interest in the activity. The group subsequently met for several informal rehearsals, but the training was insufficient to hold public performances. Due to financial and time constraints, students could spend only a few hours a week in workshops with amateur volunteer teachers who were not as well-trained as professional dancers. As a result, students could not effectively learn the extensive details of classical dance and music.
To address the dearth of practice time and lack of proper instruction, CAA gained funding to hire professional dance teachers and to maintain a strict regimen of rehearsing for four hours each Saturday. In addition, CAA purchased DVDs, tapes, and videos, as well as costumes and instruments. Because students only practice a few hours a week with their teachers, cultural transmission must be supplemented by watching videos and listening to tapes. Such study helps to deepen a student’s knowledge beyond the mastery of technique. In some Cambodian communities, these media become substitutes for unavailable experts. For example, a video recording made in 1986 by the University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh of various classical and folk dances has been found to serve as the sole source of dance instruction in Cambodian communities from Long Beach, California, to Lowell, Massachusetts. The reference and resource collection greatly aids students who wish to study and practice the cultural arts, as they will be allowed to use and borrow resources.
To address the dearth of practice time and lack of proper instruction, CAA gained funding to hire professional dance teachers and to maintain a strict regimen of rehearsing for four hours each Saturday. In addition, CAA purchased DVDs, tapes, and videos, as well as costumes and instruments. Because students only practice a few hours a week with their teachers, cultural transmission must be supplemented by watching videos and listening to tapes. Such study helps to deepen a student’s knowledge beyond the mastery of technique. In some Cambodian communities, these media become substitutes for unavailable experts. For example, a video recording made in 1986 by the University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh of various classical and folk dances has been found to serve as the sole source of dance instruction in Cambodian communities from Long Beach, California, to Lowell, Massachusetts. The reference and resource collection greatly aids students who wish to study and practice the cultural arts, as they will be allowed to use and borrow resources.
