The Angkor Dance Troupe, performs at the Khmer Student's Society cultural show on Saturday night. (PHOTO: Pat Hickey)Monday, April 9, 2007
By Leslie Finlay
For The Collegian (Penn State U, Pennsylvania, USA)
Twelve classical dancers donning traditional costumes opened a night of Cambodian culture Saturday with a contemporary twist.
Members of the Angkor Dance Troupe performed the Tep Monorom Dance, a dance believed to embody well-being and friendship, to welcome a crowded Alumni Hall. The dance troupe was part of "Khmer Transcendence" presented by the Khmer Students Society. "Khmer" is the official language of Cambodia.
"We are celebrating our 10th anniversary here at Penn State," said Sarun Chan, the society's president. "We've been planning this show since summer, excited to showcase Khmer culture and bring to light a sense of our history, particularly Khmer Rouge."
The Khmer Rouge was a communist group in Cambodia responsible for a genocide that took place there nearly 30 years ago.
"The Khmer Rouge killed over a third of Cambodia's population, wiping out our culture. Even today many people who live in Asia don't even know where Cambodia is," Chan said.
Society member Mony Hin (senior-economics) agreed, saying it is important to promote Cambodian culture, which "was almost destroyed by genocide."
The society showed a slideshow paying tribute to the victims of genocide, identifying dozens of Penn State students who are children or friends of refugees, or who were born in refugee camps themselves.
"It was so sad," Tulsi Pathak (junior-information science and technology) said. "I had no idea that [the genocide] had even happened, or that so many students here on campus were affected by it."
Penn State student members of the Khmer Student Society also performed a dance called the Coconut Dance -- a dance inspired by a popular game played most often at Khmer weddings. Adding a modern facet to the show, the society put together its own parody episode of "Cambodia's Next Top Model", a takeoff of America's Next Top Model.
A fake Tyra Banks prompted the girls to "grab their flip flops and sarongs" to compete for a prize of a year's supply of mangos and a 40-pound bag of rice.
Jessica Bennett (freshman-journalism) said, "The costumes, the dances, the whole show -- it was a great cultural experience."
Members of the Angkor Dance Troupe performed the Tep Monorom Dance, a dance believed to embody well-being and friendship, to welcome a crowded Alumni Hall. The dance troupe was part of "Khmer Transcendence" presented by the Khmer Students Society. "Khmer" is the official language of Cambodia.
"We are celebrating our 10th anniversary here at Penn State," said Sarun Chan, the society's president. "We've been planning this show since summer, excited to showcase Khmer culture and bring to light a sense of our history, particularly Khmer Rouge."
The Khmer Rouge was a communist group in Cambodia responsible for a genocide that took place there nearly 30 years ago.
"The Khmer Rouge killed over a third of Cambodia's population, wiping out our culture. Even today many people who live in Asia don't even know where Cambodia is," Chan said.
Society member Mony Hin (senior-economics) agreed, saying it is important to promote Cambodian culture, which "was almost destroyed by genocide."
The society showed a slideshow paying tribute to the victims of genocide, identifying dozens of Penn State students who are children or friends of refugees, or who were born in refugee camps themselves.
"It was so sad," Tulsi Pathak (junior-information science and technology) said. "I had no idea that [the genocide] had even happened, or that so many students here on campus were affected by it."
Penn State student members of the Khmer Student Society also performed a dance called the Coconut Dance -- a dance inspired by a popular game played most often at Khmer weddings. Adding a modern facet to the show, the society put together its own parody episode of "Cambodia's Next Top Model", a takeoff of America's Next Top Model.
A fake Tyra Banks prompted the girls to "grab their flip flops and sarongs" to compete for a prize of a year's supply of mangos and a 40-pound bag of rice.
Jessica Bennett (freshman-journalism) said, "The costumes, the dances, the whole show -- it was a great cultural experience."
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