After meeting the group
in February 2005, Jo visited Phnom Penh, the capital
of Cambodia, for three weeks in October 2005 to create
a piece for three dancers and to support them in the
development of their teaching skills. The excitement
around the project was so great that the project was
expanded to include five dancers and twelve musicians,
who created a live performance which is currently
touring around Cambodia, in theatres, festivals and
schools. So far it has been seen by approximately
5000 Cambodian and international audience members.
In the next year, the piece will tour to Laos, Vietnam
and Thailand.
Jo was joined by composer Chris Benstead,
who worked with the twelve musicians to create and
record the score for the piece. The music project
was developed in collaboration with Cambodian Living
Arts (CLA), an NGO devoted to the preservation and
development of the Khmer Arts, with particular emphasis
on musical culture. All of the musicians survived
the Khmer Rouge. Two of the musicians are acknowledged
as world famous Master musicians.
Jo was also joined by director and cameraman
Sven O. Hill. Together they shot a dance/documentary
film about the project, The Return which
is currently in post-production.
1 in 25 people in Cambodia have a disability.
This is the highest ratio anywhere in the world. This
is due to years of conflict, road and work accidents
and the ongoing blight of landmines, which still kill
or maim up to 30 people per month (down from 200 -
300 at the height of the conflict). It is, however,
difficult to integrate into society as a disabled
person - buildings and transport are inaccessible
and work is hard to find. Culturally, disability is
sometimes seen as evidence of an individual’s
bad ‘karma’, thus making them undeserving
of assistance.
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Integrated dance work is previously
unknown in Cambodia and opportunities to train
in the country do not exist |
The work with disabled young people seeks to raise
self-esteem, teach transferable skills (e.g. communication,
team-work, conflict resolution), encourage the development
of a creative and problem-solving approach in the
young people, offer them positive role-models and
to support them in facing the challenges of integrating
into society. The project works with integrated groups
(disabled and non-disabled people together) to support
non-disabled young people in overcoming fears and
prejudices towards disabled people and to promote
inclusion and integration of disabled people.
In addition to its participatory work,
the company has developed performance work which advocates
in favour of integration. The presence of disabled
dancers on the stage challenges notions of who is
allowed to be seen, in what context certain individuals
are allowed to be seen, who can be “beautiful”
and asserts a right to attention and acceptance in
a non-confrontational manner. In an accessible way,
integrated dance sends messages about the abilities
and strengths of all the performers: disabled dancers
lift non-disabled dancers, women lift men, disabled
and non-disabled dancers move into and out of wheelchairs,
all are talented, athletic, graceful performers.
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