Why Pmsodun Ok Found Cambodia's First Gay Dance Company His Livg Room

cambodian gay dance company

For more than 1,000 years, Khmer dancers Cambodia have been seen as livg bridg between heaven and earth. In this graceful dance-talk hybrid, artist Pmsodun Ok -- founr of Cambodia's first all-male and gay-intified dance pany -- tails the rich history of Khmer classil dance and s current revival, playg the ancient and agels role of artist as msenger.

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WHY PMSODUN OK FOUND CAMBODIA'S FIRST GAY DANCE COMPANY HIS LIVG ROOM

Pmsodon Ok is a choreographer and founr of Cambodia's first gay dance pany. * cambodian gay dance company *

Perhaps no one has done so well recent memory as Pmsodun Ok, the founr of Pmsodun Ok & NATYARASA, Cambodia’s first gay dance pany. I didn’t tend to form Cambodia’s first gay dance pany. Inspired by a tantric ceremony rerd the 13th century, which the Khmer kg would sexually une wh a naga every night to ensure prospery, Beloved was meant to st a history of rual lovemakg to the dancg bodi of gay men.

WHY PMSODUN OK FOUND CAMBODIA’S FIRST GAY DANCE COMPANY HIS LIVG ROOM

Cambodia's First Gay Dance Company * cambodian gay dance company *

They started to look like a real pany—Cambodia’s first gay dance pany jt formed my livg room! People are often surprised to hear that I feel safer as a gay man Cambodia than I do the Uned Stat.

I have heard of parents takg their children to monks to purify the gay away. I have also seen untls livg ritur of gay people, often effemate and c, televisn programs. I have seen gay marriag portrayed mic vios and via strangers’ posts on Facebook.

DANCE, PRAY, LOVE: BEG GAY CAMBODIA (VIO)

How Cambodia's 1st all-male, gay dance pany is prervg tradn * cambodian gay dance company *

Sendly, there is the AIDS epimic that took the liv of so many gay men, and the ongog global attempt to erase LGBTQ people om history and ntemporary society. By trag young gay men the art of Khmer classil dance, by rtagg tradnal works and creatg those that reflect my own experience, I am offerg new bodi, new ias and new ways of beg valued to the tradn. My hope is to turn the short choreographi to dance films which set gay bodi and a agile herage to public spac.

Comg out and forward as Cambodia’s first gay dance pany sends a msage that fi many social ntradictns. As we don’t play to stereotyp or adopt mastream gay culture (which is often jt an explosive Amerin nsumerism), for some people we are not “gay” enough.

CAMBODIA’S FIRST GAY DANCE COMPANY

Gold jewellery glisteng, six male dancers om Cambodia's first gay "Apsara" troupe swirl unison on a dimly l stage, their productn a radil * cambodian gay dance company *

And then there are others who say labelg ourselv as “gay” is limg, while others have said that our work is bigger than “gay, ” that is universal. There have been many who have said somethg like, “I don’t like gay people but I appreciate them for takg re of our culture. ” When I’m out at gay bars young Khmers will sometim thank me for jt speakg to them.

HOW GAY MALE DANCERS ARE PRERVG A CAMBODIAN TRADN

PHNOM PENH: Gold jewellery glisteng, six male dancers om Cambodia's first gay "Apsara" troupe swirl unison on a dimly l stage, their productn a radil shake-up of a ballet form peformed by women for more than a thoand years. * cambodian gay dance company *

Perhaps no one has done so well recent memory as Pmsodun Ok, the founr of Pmsodun Ok & NATYARASA, Cambodia’s first gay dance pany. Pmsodon Ok is a choreographer and founr of Cambodia’s first gay dance pany. In 2015, choreographer Ok Pmsodun formed an all male, gay-intified Khmer dance pany his livg room.

Gay love had never been picted Khmer dance before Pmsodun Ok did all that for a project back 2008.

Jo Cambodia’s first gay dance pany as we give new life to our rich herage, and elevate the qualy of life and exprsn for the untry’s LGBTQ people.

CAMBODIA’S FIRST GAY DANCE PANY

How Cambodia's 1st all-male, gay dance pany is prervg tradn * cambodian gay dance company *

Pmsodun Ok is a choreographer and founr of Cambodia’s first gay dance pany. Secury forc Ethpia are crackg down on hotels, bars and rtrants the pal Addis Ababa where gay sexual activy is alleged to ….

BEIRUT, Aug 9 (Rters) – Lebanon’s culture mister moved to ban the film “Barbie” om cemas on Wednday, sayg “promot homosexualy” and ntradicts …. Iraq’s official media regulator on Tuday orred all media and social media pani operatg the Arab state not to e the term “homosexualy” …. The Internatnal Associatn of Gay/Lbian Country Wtern Dance Clubs.

MEET CAMBODIA’S FIRST GAY DANCE TROUPE

The Internatnal Associatn of Gay/Lbian Country Wtern Dance Clubs ordat the activi of. s member clubs and serv as a central source of rmatn about the Gay & Lbian Country Wtern.

CAMBODIA'S FIRST GAY DANCE TROUPE UPENDS CENTURI OF TRADN

Gays for Patsy (Boston, MA, USA). Gold jewellery glisteng, six male dancers om Cambodia’s first gay “Apsara” troupe swirl unison on a dimly l stage, their productn a radil shake-up of a ballet form peformed by women for more than a thoand years. He is part of Pmsodum Ok & Natyarasa, an all-male Apsara pany tryg to alter perceptns of the gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer muny Cambodia — which is still plagued by prejudice.

“My goal is to create a more dignified and realistic image of what means to be LGBTQ and do a way where we don’t bee pigeonholed, ” said Pmsodun, who is also gay. He moved to Phnom Penh 2015 to work on a dance project explorg the role of sexualy Apsara, but stayed on once he saw young gay Cambodians’ need for “a role mol”.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* CAMBODIAN GAY DANCE COMPANY

Watch How gay male dancers are prervg a Cambodian tradn | PBS NewsHour | KCET .

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