Young Siem Reap Province Students Practice Khmer Classical Dance on their Own
Now in grade 9 at Ta Pen school, the seven students have been doing so since grade 7 and can now perform some Khmer classical dances. Photo: Zul Rorvy
- By Zul Rorvy
- March 1, 2024 9:50 AM
PHNOM PENH — A group of dance-enthusiast students in a rural school near Phnom Kulen mountain have been practicing on their own, using the internet to learn and getting a little advice from their teacher.
Now in grade 9 at Ta Pen school, the seven students have been doing so since grade 7 and can now perform some Khmer classical dances.
The Ta Pen school is in Srah Khvav village, which is located in Tbeng commune in Siem Reap province’s Banteay Srei district.
“Due to our love of dance, our team meets after school to practice dance with the help of the internet,” one of the students said during the inauguration ceremony of Ta Pen school’s new building on Feb. 24. “When a school event is about to be held, we get some training from our teacher to improve our performance.
“So far, our team is specialized in a Khmer classical dance called Neary Jea Jour in which the dancers perform delicate movements and postures that resemble the movements of a bird…Our group can also perform the Moha Nokor classical Khmer dance, the Bopha Lokei Khmer classical dance, and so on,” she said.
Practicing Khmer classical dance has been far from easy, the student said. “We were aching at the waist at first,” she said. “But we are getting used to it. Most of all, we found it hard at first to bend our hands to make elegant hand gestures.”
Since they are students, they have had to manage their time efficiently so they can study as well as practice dance, the student said.
One of the most exciting times was when the students had the opportunity to wear the Khmer traditional dance clothes to perform at a school event, she said.
The Ta Pen school is located about 55 kilometers from Siem Reap city, near Kulen mountain. With its new building with three classrooms, the school is set on providing students with proper, quality education.
The training of Khmer classical dancers usually starts in childhood in Cambodia.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, the story was translated by Rin Ousa for Cambodianess.
