Introduction Information The revival of Khmer traditional arts

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THE FUTURE FOR CANBODIAN CHILDREN
CENTRE OF EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ARTS (CEDA)

II- The revival of Khmer traditional arts

1−The Shadow Theatre
The shadow theatre is a specific art in Asia.The puppet Emanated ancient India where it would have been radiated at the same time as the Indian civilization had spread,especially in the South−East Asia,the shadow theatre played an important role in entertainment.
Cambodian,which had received Hindu influence during the first centuries of the Christian era,rapidly adopted the Indian culture in its techniques as well as in its thought;the Khmer civilization was born from the mixture of this foreign culture and the local culture to end up with an original entity.Therefore,the sacred dance,if the principle came from India,took a pure local meaning and style across centuries.
From the on,this extremely powerful culture was transmitted,to Thailand and Laos at the apogee of the Khmer Empire.
The birth of the Cambodian Shadow Theatre,its maturity then its expansion would have followed such a route.There are in fact two kinds of shadow theatre in Cambodia.On one hand,the Nang Sbek(or big leather)and on the other hand,the Ayang(small leather).
The latter,on which our organization FCC is working on,is the little shadow theatre made of articulated leather puppets,which are manipulated by artists behind a screen.
The Ayang(or Sbek Touch)is accompanied by dialogues and the stories which are improved into line with current tastes.
As its name mentions,it probably had a Malaysian origin.The artists are seated in a shelter mounted on pile-works and animated the leather figurines across a small screen lit by projectors(formerly by torches or lamp).
The show can be completely improvised in which one can tell an old Cambodian legend.But the show always displays a sense of humor a queer deformed popular character with a big belly would unexpectedly enter the stage to help out the Prince of the story from trouble:He can defeat an entire army which his Prince was failing.He can also be brave,sensible peasant,and with a good sense of humor,who does not hesitate To put the hero-with whom he’s talking-to his place,by using colorfulvocabulary.

The play of traditional legend

The play of educational story

All the big Khmer legends (Ream Ker, Tataka, popular tales...etc) are in turn played in the Sbek Touch shows, which are the only kind of spoken traditional theatre in Cambodia.
At present, CEDA-FCC uses this theatre to educate the population about society problems such as: domestic violence, human rights, weapon reduction, commune council, HIV/AIDS education and prevention and public health.

A small orchestra intervenes from time to time by playing musical Interludes during the leather figurines dance.

Musical instruments for traditional legends Musical instruments for popular tales and educational stories

These shows are very popular in both rural and urban area it always attracts a huge audience.
An art in entertaining, the Sbek Touch is a popular parody and a satirical extension of the Nang Sbek Thorn. One is telling the story of Humanity and the other the story of Gods. As a result, these two kinds of expressionare so different in their intention. However, complimentary to each other and become as a whole. In our school, this course also attracts the children. There are 2 to 4% of them attend this subject.

The audience who see the show The children who learn the stories.
2- Music
There are two kinds of traditional music: one is the Pin Peath with stringed and percussion instruments and the other the Mohory with only stringed instruments.
The different instruments are: Pin Peath is a group of instruments which have Roneath (xylophone in metal or bamboo), Kong (percussion instrument surrounding the player), a pear of Skor Thorn (a very big drum, which has two faces, for making the rhythm), Sampho (a big drum,which has two faces, for making the rhythm), Sro Lai (a big recorder),Chhoeng (percussion instrument hitting each other for making rhythm).
This kind of music is used to accompany dances, praying to God or spirit and other ceremonies.
Mohory is a group of instruments, which have Khoem (with 35 horizontal strings instrument), Ta Khe (with 3 horizontal strings instrument), Tro(with vertical strings instrument), Skor Dai (a small drum for making rhythm), Khloy (recorder) and Chhoeng.
The children who learn the Mohory instruments.

This kind of music is used to accompany dance, theatre, wedding and other ceremonies. There are 4 to 6 % of children attend these courses and they start learning all the traditional Khmer instruments, and choose one they prefer to form the group.


3- Drawing
The drawing course is the most popular among the children and there are 40 to 50 % of children attend this course.
Firstly, the students learn the bases of drawing, then how to use water color and oil color by copying still lives: things, fruits, flowers and after the human bodies. The most chosen subjects are Cambodian field, Apsara and human with traditional dresses.
Children learn to drow human body and Cambodian field
4- Sculpture
This course is also very popular among the children but they should come through the drawing courses at first. After that they can start learning on the cardboard and then on the cow leathe
Children learn to carve on the cow leathe
 THE FUTURE FOR CANBODIAN CHILDREN
Group 2,Laak,Kandek,Prasat, Bakong District,Siem Reap Provincde.
Tel:(855)12 920 506 or 12 968 589,E-mail:yotiyoti@hotmail.com
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