A Ringside Seat with Phare Circus’s Khmer Flavor
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By:
- Alan Kirk
28, August 2024 , 6:00 PM
SIEM REAP – Phare Circus adds a Cambodian flavor to performances under the big top in Siem Reap with fast-paced, high-energy shows. Their routines are based on Khmer traditions with acrobatics and comedy which resonate with audiences everywhere.
The artists are former students of Phare Ponleu Selpak’s vocational training center in Battambang. Profits from the circus help to support the school where more than 1,200 students attend daily along with 500 students at other schools.
The association behind it was formed in 1994 after the Khmer regime by former refugees in a camp where art lessons were given as therapy. It has grown from an art school and public school to include a music school and theatre school and finally the circus school.
Phare Circus relies only on the skills of its performers and back-stage crew. No animals are involved. Craig Dodge is director of sales and marketing and tells Cambodianess what makes Phare a must-see destination for tourists in Siem Reap.
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