Phlauv (The Way) - Dance performance produced by Khuon Chay

Phlauv (The Way)

Dance performance produced by Khuon Chay

Artist in residence

Creative Generation Performance Series

7pm 6+7 January 2023

Entrance by donation

Java Creative Cafe Toul Tom Poung

Phlauv, meaning “road” or “path” in Khmer, is a new project that blends Khmer classical and contemporary dance. The story describes the life of the choreographer KHUON CHAY. Specifically, KHUON focuses on some of the memories in his life after he decided to become a classical dancer in 2019 and fulfill his childhood dream. The story has seven scenes featuring four dancers. Sections of this project reflect on KHUON’s personal journey as a performer, teacher, and rising artist. Although the story is mostly about KHUON’s life, KHUON also enhances each scene to broaden the performance’s educational value for the audience while also incorporating his own Buddhist values.

Khuon Chay, 25, from Kampot, Cambodia, is a professional dancer and instructor at Prumsodun Ok & NATYARASA Dance Company, the first gay dance company in Cambodia. He is also an actor at Sereiyos Productions. Khuon has performed internationally in Berlin at the CTM Festival, in Kassel at the Documenta Festival, as well as locally in Cambodia. His project titled Phlauv aims to depict his life and identity as an emerging artist. In his free time, Khuon listens to ballads, studies Cambodian history, and walks along Phnom Penh’s riverside. Khuon wants to study English to expand his opportunities as an artist from Cambodia and communicate his ideas and values to a broader audience. He is especially interested in creating performance art that interrogates environmental issues, experiences with movement and migration, challenges facing LGBTQ people, and through this, share Cambodian classical dance with the world.

Phlauv (The Way) is part of the Creative Generation Performance series, produced by Dana Langlois. It is made possible thanks to the generous support of Debra Fram + Eric Schwartz.

The artist wishes to give special thanks to Prumsodun OK for his mentorship.