Shadow Dance

The longer I stayed in Phnom Pehn, awaiting the big assumption that was the celebration for the King on his birthday weekend, the more I really came to enjoy the city life in Cambodia. I found it really easy to walk away from the touristy district, and within a five minute stride in any direction, I was in Cambodia. In fact, the touristy is not yet THAT touristy. Always the dance seeker, I found it very difficult to find information or anyone who should and would possibly know of information on classical dance in the city. After several hours of searching, I contacted a school I had found on the internet. And, sure enough, they had a show that evening.
This was arguably the best shadow puppetry show I saw yet. 

Not to mention the everpresent blessings dance by the women (see video), and the men's stick dancing.  It was so inspiring to see the timidly coy director narrating the performance in broken English, with a smile so big it jumped past his ears. Inspiring to see his guidance in the steps of the teenaged dancers. Inspiring to see work thousands of years old. Inspiring to know by learning these steps and performing for us, these students are keeping this art form--and story telling--alive only 30 years after the K'mer Rouge tried to annihilate it all with genocide. Inspiring to know that by learning and performing this art, these students are learning a sustainable form of income for them, their mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and their own kin yet to come.