At 9 am Monday, the campus of the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh was virtually bare of students, but in the circus rehearsal hall, artists big and small were already halfway through rehearsal.
The male students were mixing traditional monkey dance movements with acrobatics; the female students shifted from classical dance steps to contortions, all to the sounds of Western pop and traditional Cambodian music.
The group of 35 circus teachers and students from RUFA and the school’s National School of Circus were getting ready for the show they will present this weekend at Chenla Theater, said Nay Nary, deputy director of the circus school.
The show will include a new circus-and-dance creation based on a story from the epic Reamker tale, which will be titled “Building the Bridge to Langka,” she said.
The goal of the Saturday and Sunday performance is simply entertainment, said Fred Frumberg, director of Amrita Performing Arts, which is producing the show.
The show is part of Amrita’s efforts to stage traditional performing arts-from Lakhaon Kaol and circus arts to Yike and Bassac theater-on a regular basis in Phnom Penh, Frumberg said.
“We try to put performances on stage as often as possible,” he said.
Amrita also plans to launch a campaign to get businesses in Cambodia to sponsor such shows, Frumberg said.
He added that ANZ Royal Bank is sponsoring the circus arts show this weekend and a classical dance performance June 7 and 8.
The Chenla show will take place at 6 pm Saturday and Sunday.
