Sophiline Cheam Shapiro (R) teaching a dancerBy Im Sothearith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
30 September 2009
Khmer choreographer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro was given an award by the National Endowment for the Arts, after co-founding the Khmer Arts Academy in California.
The National Heritage Fellowship is the highest form of federal recognition for folk and traditional arts. Shapiro and 10 others were awarded this year.
“The reason why I think her award today is so important is that it gives her the ability to continue the art,” Laura Richardson, a Democratic congresswoman from California who joined the Sept. 22 ceremony, told VOA Khmer.
“Art is so powerful because art doesn’t judge men, women, boys, and girls,” she said. “It’s preserving our cultures. By being able to show the art, it teaches young people to respect their elders. It teaches young people something special that they have and that no one has. So, I am hoping by her continuing to teach the art, we can help more kids in learning, rather than being out in the streets doing something negative, and she has been doing it for a long time and we value her and love her in our community.”
Shapiro said she felt honored to be given the award, which includes a grant of $25,000.
“It is important that I use this fellowship to support and continue to teach art at our Khmer Art Academy,” she said.
Shapiro began training in Khmer art form in 1981. Two years after moving to Long Beach in 2002, she co-founded Khmer Arts Academy in the hopes of preventing the loss of the art form in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge.
Barry Bergey, the NEA’s director for Folk and Traditional Arts, told VOA Khmer that in any year, the endowment gets 250 or so nominations. Only 10 or 11 are selected.
“Sophiline, of course, was recognized not only for her artistic skills and choreography, but for the fact that she teaches and makes such a commitment to the art form, and the panel recognized that,” Bergey said. “There’s no requirement in any way in terms of using the money, but we know these artists are committed to their traditions [and] that they are most likely to carry on what they are doing.
“That is what we want them to do, to continue just what they do, make art, teach about the art form and interact with the public,” he said. “Sophiline has done that both in the United States and in Cambodia, and that makes her special.
The National Heritage Fellowship is the highest form of federal recognition for folk and traditional arts. Shapiro and 10 others were awarded this year.
“The reason why I think her award today is so important is that it gives her the ability to continue the art,” Laura Richardson, a Democratic congresswoman from California who joined the Sept. 22 ceremony, told VOA Khmer.
“Art is so powerful because art doesn’t judge men, women, boys, and girls,” she said. “It’s preserving our cultures. By being able to show the art, it teaches young people to respect their elders. It teaches young people something special that they have and that no one has. So, I am hoping by her continuing to teach the art, we can help more kids in learning, rather than being out in the streets doing something negative, and she has been doing it for a long time and we value her and love her in our community.”
Shapiro said she felt honored to be given the award, which includes a grant of $25,000.
“It is important that I use this fellowship to support and continue to teach art at our Khmer Art Academy,” she said.
Shapiro began training in Khmer art form in 1981. Two years after moving to Long Beach in 2002, she co-founded Khmer Arts Academy in the hopes of preventing the loss of the art form in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge.
Barry Bergey, the NEA’s director for Folk and Traditional Arts, told VOA Khmer that in any year, the endowment gets 250 or so nominations. Only 10 or 11 are selected.
“Sophiline, of course, was recognized not only for her artistic skills and choreography, but for the fact that she teaches and makes such a commitment to the art form, and the panel recognized that,” Bergey said. “There’s no requirement in any way in terms of using the money, but we know these artists are committed to their traditions [and] that they are most likely to carry on what they are doing.
“That is what we want them to do, to continue just what they do, make art, teach about the art form and interact with the public,” he said. “Sophiline has done that both in the United States and in Cambodia, and that makes her special.
8 comments:
god bless khmer and khmer ancient arts.
Congratulation!!!
Khmer has blood of civilization.
Not like Siem, who has blood of thieves and barbarian.
Listen up my Khmer compatriots,
A contest is presently open to all young men/women from around the world. The top ten winners will go live and study for free in Canada. There are two Khmer candidates:
Sann Tola - male
Koun Soeun - female
You are invited to go to the website www.classactcanada.com and cast your vote for them.
You will see 100 pictures, click on the above Khmer names, a short video presentation pops up. Listen to it and you may choose to vote for your favorite candidate.
Thank you for your attention.
Hahahaha...
I love True Khmer said @ 6:17 AM
Wow. I want so much to see Apsara dancing. I hope they can travel with a show to share with all of us.
Mike in Florida
Congratulation Ms. Sophiline, please keep our Tradictional dance for ever. I was a mong of the dancer too.
I wish all the best for all of you, I'm from Canada
Congratulations Ms Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, I am very proud of you. You have kept the Khmer traditional dances alive and well. Keep going Ms Sophiline i am very happy for you. We need to show the world that we Khmer women are as good as men despite being oppressed by Khmer men in general.
be very careful!!! ChakraPong & RounNaLit are still around. Their loeungs are still standing!
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