Classic Khmer Civilization

9th – 15th Century

Temple Monuments

Khmer Society

• The King – omnipotent power encompassing people, state, law, soil

• Administrative Nobles & Priests

• Scholars, Poets, Artists, Astrologers, Astronomers

• Warriors & Farmers – largest class

• Slaves

How we know…

Little change in the basic methods & means of agrarian life

Celestial Dancers

Royal Ballet (Ankor Wat,1949)

Year Zero

An Agrarian Utopia

The Killing Fields

• Peasants – ‘Old People’ … City folk – ‘New People’ with no human rights

• Literacy, Arts, Music, Religion abolished

• Anyone deemed educated – spoke English or French – executed

• Families separated – starvation… torture

• 300 Royal Musicians & Dancers – 30 survived

1.7 Million

Ong Keng Seng(Director)

• ‘Intercultural Theatre’ – mixing contemporary & traditional performance styles

• ‘Cultural Negotiation’ – artists from different backgrounds working together in experimental ways

• Evolution of Asian Identity & Aesthetic for contemporary performance in 21st Century

The Continuum: Beyond the Killing Fields Theatre Works, Singapore

• Documentary – Performance

• Weaves real life stories of life & death under Pol Pot – as told by 3 classical dancers & 1 puppeteer

• Classical Dance Repertoire

• Dance Training Exercises

• Shadow Puppetry

• Evocative Music

• Documentary Video Footage

Lead performer Em Theay

• 78 year old Em Theay

• Master dancer of Royal Cambodian classical dance – trained from age 7

• At 15 – main roles at Cambodian Royal Palace; became dancer for Cambodian Republic in 1970

• Lost 3 sisters, 4 children, 1 grand daughter & 1 son-in-law on Killing Fields

• Now a Kru – master teacher – of dance

The Journey

• 2 years in development

• Artists revisit sights from past

• Shared journey with each other – and now us

• Audience synthesis with performer’s ordeals

• Deep appreciation of Cambodian art forms

• Aesthetic – to become involved with performers rather than form

Cambodian cultural influences in the performance

Traditional Cambodian style puppetry

• Puppets hand made from leather

• Used for first time ever in a performance that is not the story of the Ramayana

• Tell history of modern Cambodia under Pol Pot – controversial change for Cambodian cultural custodians

Cambodian classical dance

• Cambodian classical dance and theatre is based on great epic poem – Reamker, ‘Glory of Rama’

• Adapts Hindu ideas to Buddhist themes

• Shows balance of good and evil in the world

• Explores ideals of justice and fidelity

Cambodian cultural influences in the performance

Classical Dance

• Exquisite finger, hand & wrist gestures – expresses emotion

• Knees & feet pressed outwards as dancer semi-squats – at least one leg always bent

• Palms & fingers stretched backwards elegantly – similar style to neighbouring countries

• Spine erect, slightly arched, forming gentle curve – allows stylised, feminine movements – supported by facial expressions

• Together, movements & facial expressions tell story

Rituals in Asian culture and performance

• Connection with spiritual world

• Prayers & offerings

• Elaborate body & head ornamentation

• Experiential enhancement through smell, often in the form of incense

• Range of artforms – music, dance, chanting, singing

Balinese ceremonial ritual

Use of ritual in The Continuum

Opening scenes…

•Em Theay undertakes with her creative team a formal ritual – sampeah kru – before the first performance of Continuum

•Honours deities, spirits and teachers – made as a blessing for the new work & to protect the performers on their journey

In today’s workshops, we will create our own rituals