By Monika Nowaczyk | Advisor
What's been happening?
The Khmer Cultural Development Institute Arts Outreach Program has continued over the past three months. We’ve recruited a new classical dance teacher, as the previous teacher retired, ensuring the classical dance program has a high level, experience instructor.
Classes have been held three times a week in the following art forms:
The Pchum Ben festival season is in full swing and the school will be closed for one week to give staff and students a chance to celebrate with their families. Pchum Ben is the time of the year when Cambodians pay respect to their ancestors. Monks chant throughout the night and families visit the pagodas to make offerings.
From one of our students:
Channika* has been training with KCDI for eight years. She has studied Classical and Folk Dances as well as music (Pin Peat). The school director says she is good at playing the Ronead Ek instrument and is very talented at Classical Dance. Channika says:
“KCDI is not only important for me but also for those who have less access or no access to education and art training. If there was no KCDI, the poor children have no access to arts and also higher education. I would stop my studies if KCDI did not support me here and I wish to be a Classical Dance trainer in the future.”
Channika is now 18 and hopes that if KCDI’s Arts Outreach Program continues, she will be able to return to the school as a teacher.
*Students’ names are changed to protect their privacy
What's next?
Classes will start up again after the Pchum Ben holiday on October 7th. Students will continue preparing for their first performance in November. New students in the Outreach Program have now been attending classes for 3 months and are slowly but surely expanding their repertoire, learning more music, more dances and linking to their cultural heritage in ways they have never had the opportunity to do before.
What can you do?
We still need to raise further funds in order to be able to continue the Outreach Program. Please spread the word about our school and programs through your networks, on Facebook, by email, Twitter and so on. Tell your friends and family they can support us on GlobalGiving with a simple online donation.
From all the students and staff at KCDI, a big thank you for your support!
Links:
By Monika Nowaczyk | Advisor
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