Using the Ramayana for Social Reconciliation
Traditional Dance Exchange Workshop Series with KCDI
Our work with the students and teachers of Khmer Cultural Development Institute in Kampot, Cambodia focused on sharing and exchanging Cambodian arts for Kuchipudi dance lessons. In our exchanges, we shared how our dances tell our stories. Here, one of the teachers shared the legend of the Ramayan performance.
She says, “Once we learned that the regime had fallen, everyone was in shock. No one knew what to do or where to go next. People then immediately did what they remembered. They asked for anyone who knew the roles of Ram, Seda, Hanuman, and Ravana and for anyone who could play our traditional instruments. We quickly built makeshift instruments from surrounding materials and performed the Ramayan. We saw victory and hope as we performed what we loved.”
Read more about our work here!
Meet our local partner Khmer Cultural Development Institute (KCDI)
