Tucked near a large, yellow building that houses an accounting college off Mao Tse Tung Boulevard is a modest white house encircled by a blue corrugated-aluminum gate. On the second floor is the Central School of Ballet Phnom Penh. Being a few moments early, I set to task watching the community surrounding the school: it moved with smooth survival, like ants that feel a thunderstorm and take deliberate precautions. An adolescent boy with a solid face fluently manoeuvred a cart full of scrap metal; he had the firm gaze and gait of a man much older. A woman moved fresh laundry inside; her hands snapped the sun-dried sheets like an old soldier retiring a weary standard as the gaps in the clouds above began to fill in slightly.
My consideration of the ritual was broken by my hosts Stephen Bimson, Ballet Rambert alumnus and co-founder/artistic director of the school, and Devi Vanhon, business director, moving on the staircase. They unlocked the door and warmly invited me in. My eyes wandered beyond the reception area to the studio outfitted in shiny chrome railings with sturdy, hard-rubber feet edging the tongue-and-groove floor, the colour of freshly sanded pinewood. A tall ceiling was held up by the stately load-bearing pillar in the middle of the room.
Sitting on red plastic stools, Stephen passionately and vigorously began to speak about all things dance, with Devi interjecting with understated and gracious precision. They both spoke of artistic interpretation, the stewardship of a craft, to the point one could see the love they have for this small school and its possibilities. One possibility is Dance Made In Cambodia, a month-long series of free weekend workshops in which at-risk youth between the ages of nine and 15 will explore the concept of community dance. Egalitarian by design, the focus is not on perfecting formal dances but strengthening communities through shared creations.
“DMIC is the community dance division of our school,” says Devi. “It offers opportunities to underprivileged Cambodian children to experience dance at a professional level. The aim of these workshops is to introduce as wide a possible section of young people to contemporary and creative dance; expose participants to the practices and ideals of a professional dance environment and to begin to generate a community of individuals and organisations who wish to participate in our future projects and performances.”
Dance Made In Cambodia provides all who seek it a haven to discover – through dance – infinite ways to comprehend the locomotive grammar of living. Whether we are at-risk youth, diplobrats or 30-somethings with bad ADD, writer’s block and a phone that won’t be quiet, dance provides balance, not just of the body but of the brain.