King Sisowath’s Dancers: Moving Archives and Embodied History

Past Events

A recording of the event is available to watch on the CKS Facebook Page!

Abstract

The reign of King Sisowath (1904-1927) is the period of Cambodian history which left the most extensive iconographic archives documenting the history of Cambodian court dance (nowadays known as royal ballet or classical dance). The Bophana Center is home to the majority of the oldest movies ever made of these dancers who fascinated the foreign public during France’s colonial exhibitions in the first half of the 20th century. This presentation will help illustrate some of these “moving archives” by explaining their context and content. It will also highlight the unique features and characteristics of the ancient gestures and costumes captured in the movies with demonstrations by Serei Vankosaun. She is a renowned dancer who figured in Princess Norodom Buppha Devi’s last choreographies, which depicted the ancient dance style as embodied history.

Speaker

Dr. Lucie Labbé is a cultural anthropologist whose work is currently supported by the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS). She is also affiliated with the Centre Asie du Sud-Est (CNRS, EHESS, INALCO) in Paris. Her research deals with Khmer royal, or classical, dance with particular attention to apprenticeship, its techniques and rituals, as well as to the relations between aesthetics and authority. For the last few years, she has also been extensively documenting the colonial history and iconography of royal Cambodian dancers as a post-doctoral researcher funded by CKS and the EFEO (École Française d’Extrême-Orient).

Moderator

Ms. Samedy Suong, CKS Deputy Director

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the publications and through webinars are solely those of the authors or speakers. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Center for Khmer Studies, Inc. The designations employed in the publications and through the webinars, and the presentation of material therein, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of The Center for Khmer Studies, Inc. as to the matters discussed therein. The responsibility for opinions expressed in the publications and webinars are solely those of the authors or speakers, and the publication does not constitute an endorsement by The Center for Khmer Studies, Inc. of the opinions, views or issues discussed therein.