After watching dance practice at Sovanna Phum, I asked my friends if we could go to a dance school that I had read about before arriving in Cambodia. This school trained young children in the very old classical Khmer dance.

The graceful hand gestures remind me of the Hawaiian style of dance, where the hands tell a story.

I fell in love with this little dancer immediately!  (Photos of me by Vir)

Traditional Khmer classical dance incorporates hand gestures that represent different things from nature such as a tree or its leaves or even its flower blossoms. The way in which dancers present their dance and the position of the their hand, arm and even feet affect the meaning of the song and dance.

I told my friends that I wished to see a local dance group so we stopped by the Sovanna Phum Art Center in Phnom Penh. The dancers were practicing for a performance for the next evening.

It was stunning to watch them mix traditional Khmer hand movements with modern dance. Amazing. I captured a few minutes on video so enjoy!