New Performance Traditions & Paul Dresher Ensemble Present THE REBIRTH OF APSARA By Charya Burt

In February Charya Burt's dance/theater work, The Rebirth Of Apsara will have two premiere performances. The Rebirth Of Apsara is re-imagined ancient Cambodian classical dance set to music by Chinary Ung, with a text by Kalean Ung featuring an international company of Cambodian dancers.

The two performances of The Rebirth Of Apsara are on February 4, on Z Space's Steindler Stage, (Sunday at 3 pm) in San Francisco https://www.zspace.org/apsara, and on February 1, at Weill Hall Green Music Center, (Thursday, 7:30 pm) Sonoma State University https://gmc.sonoma.edu/rebirth-apsara/.

The Rebirth of Apsara is a full-length dance/theatre work that investigates the relationship between art and war exploring how Cambodian arts and in particular Apsaras, fabled female celestial beings, have embodied the essence of Cambodian culture from ancient mythology to its post genocide resurrection. Mirroring Charya Burt's own life's journey as an artist to explore the impact Apsara has had on both Khmer civilization and Cambodian artists of today, Burt sets her re-imagined classical dance gestures to a musical score by renowned Cambodian-American composer Chinary Ung. Preeminent dancers from Cambodia's Ministry of Culture who share Charya Burt's passion for resurrecting the dance join Burt and her international company of dancers to explore the impact artistic lineage has had on the rebirth of Cambodian classical dance. Charya Burt Cambodian Dance: Charya Burt, Ryan Boun, Mea Lath, and Virginia Prak with featured dance artists from Cambodia: Narim Nam, Rady Nget, and Chanmoly Vuth. Costume Design is by noted Cambodian designer Vannary San who has been involved in the efforts to revitalize traditional Cambodian silk creation and her leadership of Cambodian women. Video Projection Design is by Hsuan-Kuang Heish. Her practice includes experimental film, projection art, photography, and video installation across diverse mediums 

Charya Burt comments “In the last two years I traveled to Cambodia 3 times to create this production with professional dancers in Cambodia. This production is a defining moment for Khmer people in California, one that builds and shares our narrative, elevating this work beyond community performances, preserving traditions, and sharing with the world this production with talented Khmer artists from both sides of the Pacific.” 

Cambodian-American theater artist Kalean Ung's text provides social and historical context using poetry and narrative to dramatize how today's multigenerational Cambodian-American artists are empowering the Cambodian diaspora and redefining the Khmer spirit. 

The music is performed by a unique ensemble consisting of traditional Vietnamese multi-instrumentalist Vân-Ánh Võ (performing on the Dan Bao, Dan T'rung and the Dan Tranh) violist Susan Ung and the Dresher Davel Invented Instrument Duo (performing on Dresher's invention, the Hurdy Grande and Davel performing on the Marimba Lumina). Costume Design is by Vannary San with much of the costume realization/construction created in Cambodia. 

“Like the dance itself, which bridges classical Cambodian Dance and contemporary modern dance, the music for "The Rebirth of Apsara” combines traditional Cambodian music, new compositions by young Cambodian composers who are steeped in the Cambodian classical tradition, and musical contributions from American composer (and music director for the project) Paul Dresher, and most significantly, celebrated Cambodian American composer Chinary Ung, who has been commissioned to compose music for several major dance sections of the work,” remarks Paul Dresher. 

Produced by New Performance Traditions/Paul Dresher Ensemble with the generous support of a Hewlett 50 Arts Commission in the Traditional Arts and Lyna Lam and A Khmer Buddhist Foundation 

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