Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, founder/artistic director of Khmer Arts and a key protagonist in the revival of Cambodian classical dance forms, introduces Gods & Angels, a new exhibition showcasing some of the most spectacular hand-sewn costumes – which can take up to six months to make – she has designed for the stage during her 33-year career.
How did you choose which costumes to show in this exhibition?
It’s an exhibition of the most interesting costumes I have used between 2000 and 2006, for the dance pieces Samritechak (2000), The Glass Box (2002), Seasons of Migration (2005) and Pamina Devi (2006). You will be able to see a total of 12 costumes: four large, four medium and four small ones.
Does the show serve a higher purpose?
I want people to see how the many costumes I have used over the years for my works play a role in the wider context of Cambodian culture. The costumes you will see follow the traditional style: that is, the pre-Khmer Rouge style. As you know, the Khmer Rouge made it a point to obliterate dancers; of course, they also wanted to destroy all trace of the costumes they used.
Over the years, I have used traditional costumes in my choreography in an attempt to bring them back to the collective consciousness and reverse the damage inflicted by the Khmer Rouge. I work with five different costume makers. One is particularly interesting, because he learnt the trade from his mother, a costume maker who survived the Khmer Rouge. I want people to learn about the way costumes looked prior to 1979, but I also want people to compare these traditional costumes to contemporary ones and see the evolution.
And you had a hand in the design of each costume, we hear…
I developed an understanding of how a costume should look like through my experience as a dancer and choreographer. When you are in the business as long as I have been, you develop a sense of how everything – from music to costumes – should work. My input, as far as design goes, concerns the choice of patterns, as well as the general size and shape of the costumes.
Is there one particular costume that has special meaning to you?
I have a special regard for the male lead’s costume of Samritechak, the dance piece that I based on Othello. This costume generally surprises audiences: the protagonist exemplifies the ‘macho’ persona, yet the costume is beautifully embroidered, sparkly and perhaps a bit feminine. The piece was staged as part of the Venice Biennale in 2003.
The curator of the festival, Peter Sellars, was very interested in the way I had ‘transformed’ the male protagonist, Othello, for my piece, including the choice of costume. He later revealed that my choreography had inspired him to team up with Toni Morrison and write the play Desdemona.
What’s next?
I’m working on a new choreography for a dance piece, with the working title Kings of Desire. It will be based on the courtship between my husband and I when we first met, and the love story that developed. Him Sophy is already working on the music. Some of the issues I want to touch upon are love, commitment and identity.
WHO: Sophiline Cheam Shapiro
WHAT: Gods & Angels costume exhibition
WHERE: Java Arts Café, #56 Sihanouk Blvd.
WHEN: 6:30pm December 3 – January 25
WHY: Discover classical dance costumes in the traditional Chaktomuk style