COSECAM News

It is Sunday afternoon. People can hear sharp but rhythmic banging of coconut husks from a children’s center located in a modern residential area in the capital Phnom Penh. They are practicing their performance of Robam Kosh Tralouk (coconut dance), a type of Khmer traditional folk dance with their dance tutor.

These children are victims of neglect, exploitation and domestic violence. They were homeless and/or orphaned, and are currently under the protection of the Children Development Center run by the Cambodian Children Against Starvation and Violence Association (CCASVA).

One member of the children’s dance group, Sok Kunthea, said she felt excited about dancing and always wanted to dance. She went on to say, “When I hear the music, I feel I want to learn to dance. But I also feel nervous.”

Sok Kunthea, aged 13, used to live in the Borey Keila community in Phnom Penh with her mother and step-father. She is currently an eighth grader at Phsar Deum Tkov secondary school but is staying at the center for ten months because her family is faced with poverty.

Sok Kunthea says the dancing program has made her happy, adding that she is now familiar with a few types of Khmer folk dance having attended the classes for more than half a year.

“It reduces my worry and stress. I also want to train and become a professional dancer, but I don’t know whether I can make it, but I will try. Now I know Robam Neary Chea Chuor (Women in Queues Dance), Robam Meh Am Bao (Butterfly Dance), Koah Tra Lauk (Coconut Dance), and Blessing Dance,” Sok Kunthea says.

While she wants to become a professional dancer, she fears that she might be too old to be accepted.

“I want to ask the instructor to permit me to train [at the Royal University of Fine Arts] so that I can become a professional dancer, but I dare not ask him. I am afraid he won’t allow it” Sok Kunthea says.

Another girl at the center called Keng Sinath, used to live in Koh Kong province. After her parents died, her aunt sent her to the center so that she could attend school and receive vocational training. Keng Sinath has now attended the dance training course for five months and thinks the activity has really helped to reduce her grief and sorrow. She would also like to become a professional dancer.

“I feel so happy that I have the chance to learn to dance. I also want to be a professional dancer, if possible,” says Keng Sinath.

Mr. Mok Sokhom, dance instructor from the Royal University of Fine Arts, teaches the children dance for two hours every Sunday afternoon. The children learn dances according to their age.

“For little girls, we teach dances like ‘Bopha Lokey,’ ‘Kon Moan Teu’. For the grownups, we offer to train them on blessing dance, Neary Chea Chuor (Women in Queues dance) and coconut dance.” says Mr. Mok Sothun.

The children are taught the meaning of gestures in both classical and folk Khmer dances before undertaking the training session.

“For now we train them on how to perform folk and classical dances for fun, but we try to make sure that they can follow every step correctly. It doesn’t mean that they have to be perfect. We just have to make sure that the children will attentively observe and follow the steps correctly so that they can perform for the guests or donors when there is an event,” says Mr. Mok Sokhom.

Once the children have received training they are able to perform classical or folk dance for guests. Mr. Mok Sokhom believes that through the dance program, and performances in front of other people, it has encouraged the children to be less reserved and become more confident.

However, the children cannot become professional dancers because they have not received intensive training from a young age at the Royal University of Fine Arts.

Mr. Sokhom believes the course has to some extent helped to change the children's behaviors and attitudes, heal their suffering, and make them stronger.

“It also helps heal their sufferings and makes them stronger mentally. Although their dancing seems soft and graceful, their bodies are strong,” says Mr. Sokhom.

The Children Development Center Director, Mr. Lao Song Heng, says the dance program is designed for all children staying at the center. The program was launched in 2007 to help heal the children’s sufferings and any psychological problems that they endured when they were in their communities.

“Most of the time they cried a lot and liked to be on their own. They lived with tense feelings. On Sundays when our permanent staff take the day off, the stand-by staff found it hard to work with the children who had unhappy feelings. Therefore, we set up this dance program to help make the children feel happier,” said Lao Song Heng.

He went on to say that, “Before, we saw children feeling homesick. They cried and always wanted to go home. They often sat alone and reminded themselves of their past. This program has helped them to forget the sufferings they endured in their communities. They are happy when they participate in dancing activities. They are happy to involve themselves in this program.”

He also said that the program helped to familiarize the children with Khmer national identity, mainly Khmer dances and their origins.

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