'The Lives of Giants'

17th September,7.00-9.00 pm, Khmer Arts Ensemble Theatre

The Khmer Arts Ensemble (KAE) presents the Cambodian Premiere of an original dance drama created by KAE Artistic Director Sophiline Cheam Shapiro. Performed in the KAE theatre space, a contemporary architectural interpretation of an ancient space, and situated between the city and the countryside, its location is indeed, what we might call, an ‘in between space’.

For ‘The lives of Giants’, Sophiline re-writes Cambodian mythology  in order to explore how a culture of violence begets more violence and how, with patience and violence, recurring cycles of conflict might end. Performed by  20 dancers, singers, and musicians, ‘The Lives of Giants’ pushes the boundaries of classical dance , bridging the old with the new,  through the use of innovative movements, musical arrangements and costuming.

The Khmer Arts Ensemble is an independent, professional dance company based at the Khmer Arts Theater in Takhmao.  It develops and performs the original choreography of Sophiline Cheam Shapiro as well as rarely seen dances from the classical canon and performs these works on major stages throughout the world.