WORLD PREMIERE

A Bend in the River  (2013)
Choreography by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro
Music by Him Sophy, performed by Khmer Arts Ensemble
Puppets by Sopheap Pich

Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, Artistic Director/Choreographer
2013 McKnight International Fellow

Khmer Arts Ensemble debuts in Minnesota with A Bend in the River, a reflection on the choices we make in the heat of passion, weaving a Cambodian village tale of love, heartbreak, magic, vengeance, consequence, and redemption. Created by National Heritage Fellow Sophiline Cheam Shapiro in collaboration with two of Cambodia’s most renowned artists, this dance drama intertwines fifteen dancers, one unreliable narrator, two oversized crocodile puppets by sculptor Sopheap Pich, and eight instrumentalists and singers performing Him Sophy’s new score for a pin peat ensemble that includes an original two-level circle gong and xylophone. Like all good stories transmitted from generation to generation, the meanings are multiple. The world is ever-changing, nature a great leveler, and human choices, often made in haste, are sure to be tested. We resort to vengeance in place of justice at our peril. Crocodiles have been known to eat their young, after all.

FREE PERFORMANCE PREVIEW
Fri, Apr 5, 6:45 – 7:30 pm, Solera Restaurant

The engagement of Khmer Arts Ensemble is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, is generously supported by the National Endowment for the arts with additional contributions from the Minnesota State Arts Board.