2010 News Releases
Cambodian Exhibition
CONTACT: Janet Peterson, Marketing and Public Relations Director
TEL: (856) 825-6800, Ext. 108 | FAX: (856)
825-2410
E-MAIL: jpeterson@wheatonarts.org
Down Jersey Folklife Center
at WheatonArts Opens New Exhibit
“Cambodian Traditions:
Weddings and Court Dances” on April 1
MILLVILLE, NJ –
The Down Jersey Folklife Center at WheatonArts presents, “Cambodian Traditions:
Weddings and Court Dances,” a new exhibition opening April 1 and continuing
through October 20, 2010. The exhibition features costumes, accessories and
masks which are part of the two major traditions of Cambodian culture – Khmer classical
dance and Khmer traditional wedding. Both reflect the myths and structure of
Cambodian society and are perceived as embodiments of the cultural belief
system and a unique complex of artistic expressions.
Yin was born in Cambodia and
immigrated to the U.S. nearly 30 years ago. He is a dancer, a traditional
costume and mask maker, and a teacher in Cambodian traditional crafts and court
dances.
Khmer classical dance (also known as Cambodian court dance)
has a tradition that goes back more than a thousand years to the great Khmer
empire which flourished from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries CE. During
that time the king created the Royal Ballet to act as an intermediary between
the monarchy and the spiritual realm. The sacred symbolism of the Khmer
classical dance, its graceful gestures and exquisite costumes came to represent
the very soul of Khmer culture. One of the creation myths even explains the
origin of the Cambodian people as descendants from the holy union of a hermit
and a celestial dancer (apsara). The importance of this dance tradition was
recognized by UNESCO in 2003 when the Royal Ballet of Cambodia was inscribed as
a Masterpiece of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity.
Khmer classical dance conveys sacred,
social and aesthetic messages through movement, rhythm, gesture, pose and
elaborate costume. It requires exceptional levels of artistry in all aspects.
Essential parts of the court dance repertoire are the dance-dramas based on the
story of the Reamker (Cambodian version of the Hindu epic Ramayana). We can see
represented in them the characters of Preah Ream (Prince Rama in the original
epic) and his wife Neang Seda (Sita), Preah Leak (Lakshmana), Hanuman, Sovann
Maccha (Mermaid, Queen of the fish), and the wicked demon Krong Reap (Ravana),
king of the giants (Yeaks) among others who are part of the epic story.
Among the exhibition items are fully
assembled male and female dance costumes designed for characters portraying
royalties or deities in the Reamker episodes, accessories and various types of crowns
used in such dances as Pream, Apsara, Tep Monoram, Boung Soung (Praer Dance), Chhoun
Por (Wishing Dance), and Moni Mekhala; the tails of Sovann Maccha and Kinnari, and
the masks of Reap (Ravana) and Kumbhakar (his brother and helper).
A dancer himself, Yin creates
costumes with sensitivity for the detail and deep knowledge of the beliefs and
narratives these costumes portray. They show an astonishing technique of carved-out
work finished with gold leaf and crystal stones.
The Cambodian wedding takes at least
two days and two nights. It begins on Friday afternoon and includes such
ceremonies as Hie (groom’s family and friends offering
presents to the bride’s house), “Ring-exchange
ceremony,” Cut Sok (Hair Cutting ceremony), the Blessing (in Buddhist families), Katt Khant Sla (symbolizing the separation of the bride
from her parents), and Chong Pka Sla (the elders tying palm flowers into
three bundles to be given to the groom’s oldest relatives). The wedding
continues on Saturday with Choun Pka
Sla (Giving the palm flower), followed by the Chong Da (Hand Tying string
ceremony), which is the most important and longest part of wedding. The wedding
ends with a festive reception.
The costumes made for the groom and
the bride vary for the different wedding ceremonies. Visitors will see the
bridal costume for the wedding reception, various sashes with masterful
beadwork on golden lamé, hair pieces and other wedding accessories.
Additional handouts and other printed materials will provide the stories of the various dances and wedding ceremonies in order to help visitors fully understand the nature of their meaning and beauty.
WheatonArts is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5p.m. The exhibit is included in the price of admission to WheatonArts. Admission: Adults $10.00, $9.00 Senior Adults and $7.00 Students. Children five and under are free. Free to shop and stroll except during outdoor special events. For more information about the exhibit or WheatonArts, call 856-825-6800 or 800-998-4552, or visit www.wheatonarts.org. WheatonArts
strives to make exhibits, events and programs accessible to all visitors.
Provide two weeks notice to accommodate needs. Patrons with
hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the
Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State
Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National
Endowment for the Arts, from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Bank of
America Foundation. WheatonArts has also received grant support from the New
Jersey Historical Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs in the Department
of State and from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and
Tourism.
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