On an April afternoon at the Institut fran\u00e7ais du Cambodge\u2019s theatre, choreographers step into shafts of multicoloured light. Their movements were raw, beautiful, and imperfect. It was the culmination of weeks of the Chakto Program\u2019s Choreography Writing Workshop, now arriving at its most promising moment: ten of them were pitching their ideas, stories, and realities. Five were selected for grants, but all ten had already made their mark on Cambodia\u2019s evolving contemporary dance narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weeks before the pitch, emerging and established Cambodian choreographers gathered to exchange ideas across generations through the workshops. Guiding them were two acclaimed international mentors: Emmanu\u00e8le Phuon, a French-Cambodian dancer, choreographer, and educator known for her work with Yvonne Rainer and the Baryshnikov Arts Center, and Fouad Boussouf, a French-Moroccan choreographer and artistic director of Le Phare, whose works blend hip hop with North African ritual and contemporary movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cManou (Emmanu\u00e8le Phuon) guided us through intentional movement, not randomness,\u201d said choreographer Pum Molyta, one of five grant recipients. \u201cShe was supportive, making everything feel simple and approachable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Awardee Kim Socheat added, \u201cFrom Manou, I understand that we are not just performers, but creators. Likewise, audiences are not just viewers\u2014they want to engage and perform with us. I\u2019d never heard of this approach before, and it fascinated me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The five awardees will present their full-length pieces this October. Here are their stories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pak Din \u2013 Fine Embroidery, Fine Endurance<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Soy Chanborey is softspoken, but his movements aren\u2019t. Pak Din<\/em> is a tribute to Cambodia\u2019s unsung backstage legends: costume designers, mask makers, and older artists, whose names often go unheard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want people to respect these artists like we respect traditional masks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trying embroidery himself, Borey discovered firsthand its demands: patience, focus, and endurance. His 30-minute solo isn\u2019t about perfection\u2014it\u2019s about reverence. His background in Lakhon Khol and insight from the workshop influenced his approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt the end of the show, I want people to feel the sweat,\u201d he says. \u201cWith the sweat coming from my movement, I want audiences to sense the physical and emotional labor behind every stitch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While reflecting on the workshop, he noted, \u201cContemporary art isn\u2019t about achieving perfection or pleasing everyone. It\u2019s about expressing our own creative thinking, shaped by context, time, and space from which our art emerges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Home? \u2013 The Finding of Safe Space<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Dy Puthik\u2019s work Home?<\/em> unearths trauma, queerness, and emotional safety. With roots in Khmer classical dance and years of experience with Cambodia\u2019s pioneering gay dance company, Prumsodun Ok & NATYARASA, Puthik brings vulnerability to the forefront of his art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery family carries trauma differently,\u201d Puthik said. \u201cIn mine, it showed up as silence. My parents, shaped by their childhood during the Khmer Rouge, raised me without intimacy that they, too, never received.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His choreography begins with a visualized bedroom scene. Puthik lies on a pillow, symbolizing a safe space that gradually unravels into a haunting reflection on intergenerational pain. Home?<\/em> explored the process of healing and the search for identity, of what it means to be queer in post-war Cambodia, where queer experiences are shaped by unique histories of conflict and survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The title was inspired by his friend who, after dancing, was told for the first time, \u201cYou are beautiful.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s what dance can do\u2014it can be the moment someone feels truly seen,\u201d Puthik said. \u201cThis story stayed with me and stirred a quiet question: What is home, really? Is it the place we sleep, or the place we\u2019re seen? For me, home is wherever we feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shadow \u2013 A brave step toward Her Own Light<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
At nine years old, Pum Molyta joined the School of Fine Arts. For years, she stayed within the safety of classical forms. Shadow<\/em> is her personal rebellion, confronting the fear of her past, stepping slowly but decisively toward the light. \u201cI\u2019ve always co-created dance pieces with others, but I never dared to create one on my own,\u201d she said. \u201cThe workshop was an opportunity for me to build my capacity to become an independent artist.\u201d The workshop helped her see herself anew. \u201cI used to think I didn\u2019t belong in the contemporary field. I felt more attuned to traditional dance. But this was my chance to start over,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guided by what Molyta described as an \u201copen and pressure-free\u201d approach\u2014\u201cno books, no pens\u201d\u2014she began to experience a sense of freedom. \u201cThere were days I wanted to give up,\u201d she admitted, \u201cbut Manou always reminded us: don\u2019t overthink, just try.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In one exercise, fellow trainee Chan Sopheap asked her to dance with the wall and use a flashlight to cast shadows. As she danced, something clicked. \u201cI was happy with my movements. I felt like a character was coming alive inside me,\u201d she said. \u201cI kept thinking about my shadow on the wall, especially while preparing my pitch. I began to ask myself: What does that shadow represent?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her answer came clearly: \u201cIt was my weakness.\u201d \u201cIt reflected the parts of me that weren\u2019t so brave\u2014my lack of confidence, my struggles with speaking up, my discomfort with networking.\u201d And from that realization, she built her story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relationship \u2014 Kim Socheat\u2019s Resistance for Visibility<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
As a result of \u201cliving with a disability in a society that often looks away,\u201d Kim Socheat has long struggled to find connection\u2014not just in art, but in daily life. His piece, Relationship<\/em>, is shaped by that pursuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inspired by a childhood game which involved speaking through plastic cup telephones with his cousin, he builds a deeply symbolic dance around the yearning to be heard. \u201cI try to communicate with others, only to realize that people don\u2019t want to connect with me. I always wondered: what\u2019s wrong with me?\u201d Socheat recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Socheat emphasized that he does not seek sympathy. His dance is an expression of his story and a reflection of reality. He attempts to connect to his audience using string and cups as metaphors for one-sided communication. The piece will evolve into a 25-minute duet, exploring his experience as a person with a disability, performed alongside another artist who uses sign language, expanding Socheat\u2019s story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chakto Program was transformative. \u201cBefore, others choreographed dances for me. Now, I direct them myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His pitch moved the room. \u201cI almost cried, but I held it in,\u201d he remembered. \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe the pitch was going smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His message to the audience is simple: Relationships matter more than money, power, or status. \u201cI hope people will build relationships with those of us living with disabilities,\u201d he remarked. When you do, it makes us feel warm and safe\u2014it tells us that society doesn\u2019t reject us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Barrier \u2013 What We Cannot Say, We Must Dance<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Vong Vannak, a trained choreographer with a circus background, created A Barrier<\/em> from frustration and silence. \u201cSince childhood, I hid my problems and tried to solve them alone,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He reconnected with Emmanu\u00e8le Phuon through the program, having worked on her earlier project as a costume designer. \u201cWe explored many new aspects of creating a dance piece\u2014not only techniques for movement and breath, but also communication skills essential for working with a team or creative partner. We discovered unexpected goals and new directions in our creative journey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitching an idea was unfamiliar to him, however. \u201cAs artists, we are often more equipped to perform our work than to describe it,\u201d he elaborates. \u201cThis pitching experience taught us how to capture the attention of both audiences and judges, and how to invite them to understand our art on a deeper level. We also learned what makes a strong pitch, which helped me improve and develop my skills in presenting my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked how he envisioned the end of the performance, he said, \u201crelieved and relaxed.\u201d He pictures the judges\u2019 positive feedback, the audience\u2019s applause, and the motivation to keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chakto Program is part of a broader initiative by Institut fran\u00e7ais du Cambodge to support Cambodia\u2019s creative industries, with key partnerships including Cambodian Living Arts, Anti-Archive, Kongchak Studio, and Sipar Cambodia. While the focus here is dance, the program is also nurturing writers, musicians, and filmmakers to bring about a new generation of artists in Cambodia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On an April afternoon at the Institut fran\u00e7ais du Cambodge\u2019s theatre, choreographers step into shafts of multicoloured light. Their movements were raw, beautiful, and imperfect. It was the culmination of weeks of the Chakto Program\u2019s Choreography Writing Workshop, now arriving at its most promising moment: ten of them were pitching their ideas, stories, and realities. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4866,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4863"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4863"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4872,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4863\/revisions\/4872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/1-DSC08251-1-1024x511.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Pak-Din-1024x568.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Puthy-1024x568.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Molyta-1024x568.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Socheat-1024x568.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Vannak-1024x568.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n