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Cambodia's Seasons of Migration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

Toni Shapiro-Phim
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Extract

In classical Khmer dance dramas, the fluidity of gestural and choreographic movement is complemented by the seamlessness with which mythical figures move between the realms of sky, earth, and sea. Such mythical migrations have been the subject of Khmer dance dramas for centuries. In this essay I explore the recent development and performance of one specific danced story of migration and the performers' social realities that complicate their relationship to their art and to this story in particular. I discuss transnational migration's impact on current and future possibilities for Khmer classical dance, and the lessons Cambodia's female dancers take from the fluidity, adaptability, and flexibility required of Khmer choreography as they negotiate their immediate social, cultural, and political upheavals.

Type
Articles
Information
Dance Research Journal , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , Winter 2008 , pp. 56 - 73
Copyright
Copyright © Congress on Research in Dance 2008

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