Phnom Penh

A NEW dance performance choreographed by a Cambodian artist will be presented at Chenla Theatre in Phnom Penh on May 14 and 15.

The performance, titled Aram (Mood), will feature seven dancers including choreographer Chumvan Sodhachivy, 25, a former student at Royal University of Fine Art. Four musicians will also take part in the event, which is organised by the French Cultural Centre.

Chumvan Sodhachivy said the performance will mix traditional and modern art forms.

“When I was young, I learned traditional Apsara and Reamker dance styles, practicing them over and over again,” she said. “The teachers never allowed us to experiment with different styles, even a little bit. We had to follow the rules all the time. But as teenagers, we wanted to invent something new.”

She said the music performed during Aram will also combine traditional and modern elements.

“Since the dance is contemporary, we will not perform with only traditional music instruments, but also with modern instruments such as piano,” she said. “The tempo is faster, and the dance style will also be faster than in traditional performances.”

Chumvan Sodhachivy said she decided to call the performance Aram because the dance style is meant to evoke various feelings such as love, disappointment, anger or tiredness.

“I focus on love in this work, but throughout our lives love is also linked with other moods,” she said.

She said Aram is divided into five scenes, each exploring a different aspect of love: love of ourselves; love of parents, family and relatives; love of friends; love of sweethearts; and love of society.

Aram is the third contemporary dance piece choreographed by Sodhachivy. She has previously performed in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

At the end of the month she will leave for a trip that will see her perform both modern and traditional dance in Singapore and the United States.

Performances will be held at the Chenla Theatre (at corner of Mao Tse Tung and Monireth Boulevards) on May 14 and 15. The show will start at 7pm, opening with a performance by four disabled dancers from Epic Arts Association. Admission is free, but tickets must be obtained in advance at the French Cultural Centre (#218 Street184) or Amrita Performing Arts (#128G9, Sothearos Boulevard).