This term I have been able to connect with Cambodia even though I am living in the UK. In October I was invited to a special event at the Cambodian Embassay in London. It was the 9th memorial anniversary of HM The Late King-Father Norodom Sihanouk. I was so excited to meet with other Cambodian people for the first time since I arrived in the UK, that I arrived an hour early. I was the first to arrive so I had to wait outside. I loved being able to greet people with the Cambodian hand greeting and we ate lots of Cambodian food including Khmer curry and deserts. I felt like this was a gift from God, it helped me to recharge and it encouraged me to keep going in what I am doing. Here are some photos from the day.
I have also connected with another Cambodian dancer. I was introduced to Bong Nadenh by one of the musicians at Rambert, who had been to Cambodia as part of a dance project. We finally met in a workshop at the Royal Festival Hall in October this year. He is a dancer with a company called Stop Gap and we have many things in common. He was sponsored to come to England and work with Stop Gap in 2013 and has been living and working in the UK since then. He is a hidden treasure. He has been sharing his experience as a Cambodian dancer with me. It is helping me to understand more of the challenges I will face as a dancer when I go back but also inspiring me to work harder and take advantage of what is being given to me.
Finally, my dissertation this year is focusing on Cambodia. I wanted to use my dissertation as an opporunity to learn more about dance in Cambodia before I go back. I knew that there was some contemporary dance already but I wanted to understand how this started and what is happening now. I have been finding many things that I did not know were there. It is helping me to understand more about my country, its history and challenges. I am also learning more about who I am as a Cambodian and it is inspiring me as an artist as I see how important the development of the arts is in my country. As a result I have also started to reach out to other dancers, introduce myself and build relationships.
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