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labricoleuseFriday afternoon, costume staff and students were granted the opportunity to observe the dressing process of the dancers of the Khmer Arts Academy's production of Pamina Devi: A Cambodian Magic Flute, currently touring the US. The performance appeared courtesy of the Carolina Performing Arts series. Theatre empresario Peter Sellers sponsored the production, choreographed and directed by Cambodian classical dancer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, as part of a Vienna Mozart festival. Now the KAA have taken it on tour.
If you are unfamiliar with what traditional Cambodian dance is like (i certainly was), check out some of the articles written about the academy and the tour:
New York Times article
Daily Tarheel (UNC college paper) article
Responses to the premiere last month at the University of Florida.
Shapiro told us a lot of interesting information about classical dance conventions in the Cambodian tradition. For example, all the roles are performed by women, but there are four character archetypes: men, women, giants (who apparently also double as gods or demons), and monkeys. The men are signified in costume by the wearing of peaked epaulets. Characters also wear masks, such as the Garuda, a bird-creature.
Shapiro also talked about the genesis of this particular production, in which she played upon Mozart's opera's themes of "enlightenment and change," a phrase adopted and perverted by the genocidal Khmer Rouge in the Cambodia of Shapiro's youth.
We were allowed (after removing our shoes) to come backstage and observe the dressing process of the 31-member dance troupe. These dancers begin the dressing process 4.5 hours before the performance begins--they are stitched into their shirts and undertrousers, and the other pieces are all held on with a combination ties and artful folding processes. Everyone was very friendly and happy to answer our questions, show us details of their methods and traditions, and allow us to take photos. All the pictures in this post are courtesy of photographer Amanda Phillips.
one dancer stitching another into her male character costume (note the epaulets)
closer view of stitching process
a dancer helps her colleague into her draped "trousers"
these start out as fabric yardage, folded and tacked and tied with string into this garment
front view of a female character's dressing process
side view--note the flap in the back which will get artfully fan-folded
back view of a female character's dressing process
closeup of sash beading, done by hand by Cambodian professional costumers
Shapiro puts the embroidered Garuda tailpiece on a dancer
mask and headdress altar
This was the coolest part for me, as a crafts artisan--the cultural traditions surrounding the dancers' headdresses and masks. Shapiro explained to us that in Cambodian dance tradition, the dancers believe that their characters spirits reside in the masks and headdresses, as well as the spirits of all the dancers who have portrayed those characters in times past, so these pieces are treated with particular reverence. They are set out before each performance in a particular arrangement and form the basis of an altar. You can see the offering assembled from the crafts services table--cookies and a Coke--as well as incense which was to be burned before the performance.
Shapiro told us that the Garuda mask was made from papier mache, and that mask and headdress making was a career for Cambodian men, whereas women costumers made the clothing and beadwork. Guess i won't be heading off to ply my trade in Cambodia!
Pamina Devi will run October 9-14 at the Joyce in NYC, October 21-22 at the University Musical Society of Ann Arbor, MI, and October 25-26 at the Clarice Smith Center in College Park, MD.
If you are unfamiliar with what traditional Cambodian dance is like (i certainly was), check out some of the articles written about the academy and the tour:
New York Times article
Daily Tarheel (UNC college paper) article
Responses to the premiere last month at the University of Florida.
Shapiro told us a lot of interesting information about classical dance conventions in the Cambodian tradition. For example, all the roles are performed by women, but there are four character archetypes: men, women, giants (who apparently also double as gods or demons), and monkeys. The men are signified in costume by the wearing of peaked epaulets. Characters also wear masks, such as the Garuda, a bird-creature.
Shapiro also talked about the genesis of this particular production, in which she played upon Mozart's opera's themes of "enlightenment and change," a phrase adopted and perverted by the genocidal Khmer Rouge in the Cambodia of Shapiro's youth.
We were allowed (after removing our shoes) to come backstage and observe the dressing process of the 31-member dance troupe. These dancers begin the dressing process 4.5 hours before the performance begins--they are stitched into their shirts and undertrousers, and the other pieces are all held on with a combination ties and artful folding processes. Everyone was very friendly and happy to answer our questions, show us details of their methods and traditions, and allow us to take photos. All the pictures in this post are courtesy of photographer Amanda Phillips.
one dancer stitching another into her male character costume (note the epaulets)
closer view of stitching process
a dancer helps her colleague into her draped "trousers"
these start out as fabric yardage, folded and tacked and tied with string into this garment
front view of a female character's dressing process
side view--note the flap in the back which will get artfully fan-folded
back view of a female character's dressing process
closeup of sash beading, done by hand by Cambodian professional costumers
Shapiro puts the embroidered Garuda tailpiece on a dancer
mask and headdress altar
This was the coolest part for me, as a crafts artisan--the cultural traditions surrounding the dancers' headdresses and masks. Shapiro explained to us that in Cambodian dance tradition, the dancers believe that their characters spirits reside in the masks and headdresses, as well as the spirits of all the dancers who have portrayed those characters in times past, so these pieces are treated with particular reverence. They are set out before each performance in a particular arrangement and form the basis of an altar. You can see the offering assembled from the crafts services table--cookies and a Coke--as well as incense which was to be burned before the performance.
Shapiro told us that the Garuda mask was made from papier mache, and that mask and headdress making was a career for Cambodian men, whereas women costumers made the clothing and beadwork. Guess i won't be heading off to ply my trade in Cambodia!
Pamina Devi will run October 9-14 at the Joyce in NYC, October 21-22 at the University Musical Society of Ann Arbor, MI, and October 25-26 at the Clarice Smith Center in College Park, MD.
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no subject
Date: 2007-10-08 07:28 pm (UTC)be well,
tessalina
no subject
Date: 2007-10-09 02:38 am (UTC)We may be in NY this weekend...I'll have to see if we can afford tickets.
WOW!!
Date: 2008-10-15 04:05 pm (UTC)