Determined to revive traditional Khmer performance arts, theatrical director Soung Sopheak transformed his backyard in rural Arey Ksat, Cambodia, into a small performance space in 2023.
Sopheak, who founded the NGO Khmer Arts Action (KAA) in 2005 to preserve rapidly fading art forms, wanted to host free gatherings for the local community while giving artists a chance to practise in front of a live audience.
Now, his niece, Yem Sovannry, 25, has helped develop the community initiative into Steps & Stories: Khmer Dance Experience, offering an authentic introduction to Cambodian theatre, music, and dance, performed outdoors among paddies to the chirp of crickets, as villagers have done for centuries.
Sovannry said that last year, KAA began running monthly performances for communities at the space her uncle created in Arey Ksat, a 10-minute ferry ride across the Mekong River from Phnom Penh.
“We were very surprised to learn that some people came all the way from the city just to see the show. That inspired us to create something for foreign tourists,” Sovannry said.
“We’ve created a space where they can come and enjoy cultural performances, but we’re also doing this to help local artists earn a living and to sustain ourselves.”
Steps & Stories: Khmer Dance Experience now offers immersive journeys into Cambodian dance, theatre, and storytelling. The programme has been developed into five packages for tour operators wishing to offer clients authentic Khmer performances in a genuine rural setting.
Packages range from a 45-minute single performance to a half-day experience featuring multiple performances by 18 artists. Art forms include apsara dance, sbek thom (shadow puppet theatre), lakhon (Khmer theatre), and traditional music, with refreshments included.
“The space isn’t luxury like what you see in the city – but if you want to experience an authentic performance like locals used to do in the past, then this is perfect,” Sovannry said.
