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Community and Freedom of Self at the Khmer Arts
Dance Academy
By: Annie Chung
Ant 375 Ethnographic Methods & Techniques
Professor Susan Needham
11 December 2013

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I embarked on an anthropological journey at the Khmer Arts Academy of Cambodia
Town in Long Beach with little knowledge of what I would be getting myself into but I decided
to completely delve into this particular aspect of Khmer culture: dance. Deciding to conduct
research at this site was simple; as soon as I watched the dancers rehearse for the first time, I fell
in love with the dance. What attracted me to this particular site was the foreign beauty of the
dance; therefore, my initial interest was to focus my research on the dance and the culture itself.
But more I visited the dance center and interacted with the individuals there, my interest shifted
towards the people. Though this particular classical Khmer dance has deep roots and a rich
history, the more I visited, the more this dance became more about the community and the
individual within. The two people that interested me the most were Prumsodun Ok, who was one
of the dance instructors and a creative arts director, and Serey Tep, who was a managing director
of the academy. During my research, I found out that though these people have been heavily
influenced by American culture and society, they still value their Khmer traditions through the
art of the classical Khmer dance, and continually give back to their community. Moreover, there
were two juxtaposing themes that I found most endearing and informative during my research
and analysis: giving back to their community and the freedom to be an individual. I visited the
dance academy to make specific and general observations, to interact with people present, and to
write down fieldnotes as thoroughly as possible. The methods that were utilized in obtaining the
information and insights needed included everything from physically mapping the site itself to
conducting an interview with the informants.
I began my research by mapping the site as specifically as possible. In order to gain a
sense of familiarity for this setting, it was important for me have had a clear and unhampered
view of where I was conducing my research at. The first feature about the place when I first

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walked into the building was an entryway where shoes were to be taken on before walking into
the main space. Next, the area was one big room that consisted of a few smaller enclosed spaces
in it. This one big room also consisted of “invisible” spaces or lines to separate different parts;
for example, to the west wall, where the entry way was, had a dining table close to the wall. The
middle of the room was for the dance rehearsals, which was made clear by the long paneled
mirrors along the north wall. And a little kitchenette was places along the east wall of the area.
The space was carpeted, which made it easy for the students and instructors to dance barefoot,
which is how classical Khmer dance is usually performed. The west wall was where the main
entrance was and that area contained the dining table where people can sit, chat or conduct
meetings at. Moreover, the features of this place that I took notice in the most were the north and
south walls. The north wall consisted of long paneled mirrors for the students to watch
themselves during rehearsals. The south wall consisted of an elevated platform with two levels
and places on either side of this platform were two large statues of Naga, a 5-headed snake.
Against this wall, directly above the platform, hung a massive mural – about 2 meters by 4
meters – of the Hindu god, Brahma. I took notice of how religion and tradition plays a significant
role in Cambodians’ lives.
As I was observing the space, I started to see some roles of Prum and Serey slowly
unfolding. Prum seemed like he was the main dance instructor; he worked with the students
directly with their dances. Serey appeared to be the one managing day to day activities and the
organization of the academy. On this first day, Serey was over by the dining table against the
west wall with the mothers sewing and tailoring costumes. While the older kids were rehearsing
with Prum, the little kids were in this area getting fitted by Serey. As various activities and social
scenes were happening around me, I felt a sense of community and togetherness in this area. It

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was not only a place for dance rehearsals, but also a place to get together and socialize. During
the entire rehearsal, people were walking in and out, children were running and playing, and
parents were chatting loudly. Despite being overwhelmed with the noise and activity taking
place, this rehearsal was very organized and fluid.
The next method I used was molding a census and social structure of my site to construct
a more detailed picture of Prum and Serey’s roles in the setting. This was important for me to
find out because I wanted to see how their roles were helping to serve their community and
students. First, Prum is a 26-year-old Cambodian-American male and his official title is an
Associate Artistic Director and dance instructor of the Khmer Arts Academy in Cambodia Town
of Long Beach, California. He has been training and studying
the art of traditional Cambodian dance for about a decade,
and he has acquired a diverse range of skills and knowledge
about the classical dance and the history of his people. He
began his training in the dance under his previous instructor,
Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, who is also the Head Artistic
Director and co-founder of Khmer Arts in Long Beach.
Sohpiline was interested in social and humanitarian work to
better her community and to inspire and teach through the art
of classical Cambodian dance. Even now, I can see how
important their community is to the Cambodian-American people. During Prum’s adult years, he
has also studied and acquired a skillful background in experimental filmmaking through digital
media arts, experience in performance arts such as dance and theatre, and has been successful in
publishing some of his writings. Besides having been a trained dancer and a master of

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performance arts, Prum’s historical knowledge of Cambodia and his culture has given him a
deeper sense of appreciation for his culture. And in turn, has also enabled Prum to perform his
current role as an Associated Artistic Director and give back to his community. Prum gained
some historical knowledge through years of training in classical Khmer dance. In order to learn
and execute the dance movements, he had to know where each move and technique was rooted
from. In other words, every form executed in the dance has some type of meaning that
symbolized an element of Cambodia’s history, beliefs and culture.
Though Prum has
gained respect from his
students and colleagues
throughout his dance career
there is no concrete symbols or
tangible items that are
representative of the hierarchy
at the dance center. Prum
stated that he “doesn’t teach for hierarchical purposes. [He] acquires respect from his teachings
and the quality of the instruction.” People obtain the respect they deserve through their actions
and desire to better not only themselves, but their community and the individuals in it. For Prum,
his involvement with the Khmer Arts Academy and in teaching his students is more than a
simple paycheck or for self-praise. His appreciation for the Khmer dance and the connection
with his students appeals to a greater self-satisfaction; he is able to give back to his community,
watch his students grow and “for young people to learn Cambodian dance is to be exposed to

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their history, their language, myth, religion and the art of dance…and this can be used to
explore their own identity and can be a part of their personal expression.”
The next method I utilized was a less involved process, where I recorded as much
interaction as much as possible during a rehearsal session. I obtained good insights of the
organization of the rehearsals and the dance itself. I obtained very minimal in the people of
interest; however, this was the very method that geared me towards wanting to focus on
community and individuality. I felt myself seeing my surrounding within both the emic and etic
dichotomy. I gained more insight in the etic approach in this particular method; whereas, I
gained a more emic insight when I applied my next method by interviewing Serey. Watching the
interaction between Prum and the students during the rehearsal had me shift my focus on the
people because I never fully understood the organization of the dance rehearsals. I only
perceived Prum bouncing back and forth from younger students to the older ones, children
running and playing, and there being no concrete schedule in the rehearsal days and times. But
when I observed how multitasking and putting his skills to use, I saw that there was more to it
than just showing up and dancing.
I have gotten familiar with Prum and his role in the dance community through the census
and social structure method I applied. Now, my focus and last methodology I utilized in my
research was a formal and personal interview with Serey Tep. Serey had a different background
than Prum; thus, she presents a different type of service for the students and the dance academy.
Serey was born in Cambodia and her family crossed the border to Thailand as refugees during
the Khmer Rouge. They moved to the U.S. in 1981 to Chicago and Serey moved to California
about 9 years ago. Serey considers herself the “1.5 generation” because she was born in
Cambodia, but was practically raised in the U.S. Serey’s father was a teacher and a soldier from

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Cambodia. He was passionate about his culture and would
constantly share stories to Serey about Cambodia and taught
her Khme; therefore, Serey’s interest in her culture came
naturally. Serey got interested in Khmer dance at about 5
years of age when she was first exposed to the elaborate
costumes and the striking make up involved in dance. Her
parents got her a VHS tape of a famous classical Khmer
dancer, which happened to be Sophiline, the same instructor
Prum studied under. With her studies and knowledge of
classical Khmer dance, Serey has also achieved respect from her students and parents. Though
she grew up interested in dance, as Serey continues to work at the dance academy, she has found
a greater meaning for herself and her community. Serey never really have any role models
growing up, but the students now have the opportunity to come and attend these rehearsals and
get involved. Through this, the younger students can learn about their culture, connect with their
fellow people and the elders, and have the opportunity to learn things about themselves as they
mature. Serey hopes that the students will appreciate this later in life and pass on the dance, and
give back to their community.
Serey is a big believer of experiencing life by taking chances and learning from one’s
failures to become successful. The students are lucky to have someone like Serey as a mentor to
talk to and to share anything they want to her. One of Serey’s personal goals is to try and build
an organization where she can provide young kids whose parents are too busy or have no money
to provide their children help with their school work, a safe place where they can study, to just
hang out, and a place where they can grow and find themselves. She thought of this idea by the

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observations she has been making over the years. She has seen that some of their students live in
a situation where their parents are not able to provide them a good support system.
Classical Khmer dance has been passed down for many, many years and Serey has had
the opportunity to learn about her culture through this dance. Through all the torment and
suffering their ancestors went through, they were still able to hang on to the dance and pass it
down; “…to plant that seed in us. And to me, that’s significant enough already. And I’m able to
plant that seed, you know, on my children.”
Serey wants the students to hold on to the dance and share it. She was saying how violence is so
harmful. It destroys and wipes out everything, and it would be hard to revive the dance again; it
takes so much blood and tears to revive these kinds of cultural traditions. In the end, Serey wants
people to be able to share with one another, to be interested and open to other people, their
culture, and their beliefs.
Through my visits at the dance academy, strong notions of community and individuality
were present in Prum and Serey through this single medium of dance. I have come to find this
out through implementing those methods of research previously stated. Two of the four
methodologies and the data I have recorded were found to be relevant to my analysis because
both those methodologies brought me closer to Prum and Serey, the people in my area of
research that helped me reach my focus. When both Prum and Serey were asked how do they
relate to the classical Khmer dance personally, or how they feel about it, they both responded
with the underlying sense of community and individuality. First, the interview portion of my
research has given me a good insight to the theme of community. Serey spoke largely about
mentorship to the students and her always giving back to the community. Through the
community this dance has offered both students and parents, the dance academy is a place where

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people come and grow together. The next theme I found good insight to was the idea, or the
freedom to be an individual through this dance community. Prum channeled individuality
through the dance. He conversed largely of students being able to “find themselves” and their
identity through the dance and the movements the students learn. Both Prum and Serey also had
a passion for keeping the classical dance alive by reaching out to the younger generation of
students. They keep a strong sense of community and individuality within their students to
maintain the desire to pass on the classical dance, and for the students to grow and mature into
respected citizens of society.
My focus on Serey and
Prum has not only helped me
learn about Cambodian history
and classical Khmer dance, but
more importantly, has given
me insights into the modern
human experience. I learned
that the traditional dance and the variety of forms the dancers use have deep symbolic meanings
within Khmer culture and history. The dance represents continuity and is a vessel for spirits, for
beauty, magic, myth, and religion. The dancers perform this dance for beauty, for their pride,
their people, religion, the earth, the genocide and the struggles Cambodians have endured
throughout their history. Moreover, a certain hand gesture could mean a flower or tree, which
symbolizes the Earth’s beauty or fertility. The dance communicates through the participants’
movements by revealing symbolism about their culture. The research has also shed some light on
Serey, who was present during the time of the Khmer Rouge; though she was young, it had an

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effect on her. This is where I further learned a little more about Cambodian history. The war had
both a good and a bad effect on Serey. The bad effect was that she never had the opportunity to
meet her grandparents. The land her family lived on was obliterated during the war; therefore, all
of the old family photographs and memorabilia went missing or got destroyed. The good effect
was the fact that her immediate family were able to move to the U.S. She was raised in this
country where all of her needs – physical, emotional and more importantly, academic – were
able to be met compared to what it would have been like to have been raised in a “third-world
country where I’m starving, or don’t know what to do, or I’m uneducated.”
People are profoundly influenced by their surrounding culture and social norms, so I was
most interested in obtaining data on what Prum and Serey base their cultural and social lives on.
Through those methodologies, I learned that they base it on the desire to give back to their
community and to live as individuals. This is where the cultural influences of Cambodia and
American have come to coexist with each other through Prum and Serey. Cambodia is a country
where the culture is of the collective and the needs of their families; whereas, America is a
country whose culture is of the individual and the immediate, nuclear family. But throughout
their lives, Prum and Serey have taken these two contrasting cultures into a single entity through
their knowledge and skills of their history and through teaching dance at the Khmer Arts
Academy.

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References Cited
Emerson, Robert M., Rachel I. Fretz, & Linda L. Shaw. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes.
Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2011. Print.
Michrina, Barry P. & Cherylanne Richards. “Data Analysis.” Person to Person: Fieldwork,
Dialogue, and the Hermeneutic Method. New York: State University of New York Press,
1996. 83-95. Print.
Needham, Susan & Karen Quintiliani. “Cambodians in Long Beach, California: The Making of a
Community. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies. Vol.5 (2007): 29-49. Print.
Spradley, James P. “Ethnography and Culture,” “Ethnography For What?” and “The
Ethnographic Research Cycle.” Ethnographic Research. 3-35. Print.
Audio Interviews:
Ok, Prumsodun. Personal Interview. 17 October 2013.
Tep, Serey. Personal Interview. 14 November 2013.
Photographs:
Eng, Klo. Prumsodun Ok. N.D. Photograph. Khmer Arts Academy, Long Beach. Khmer Arts.
Web. 8 December 2013.
Eng, Klo. Serey Tep. N.D. Photograph. Khmer Arts Academy, Long Beach. Khmer Arts. Web. 8
December 2013.
Tep, Serey. Khmer Arts Academy Students and Associate Artistic Director Prumsodun Ok. N.D.
Photograph. Khmer Arts Academy, Long Beach. Khmer Arts. Web. 8 December 2013.
Wang, Eric. Khmer Arts Academy Students Prepare to Perform. N.D. Photograph. Khmer Arts
Academy, Long Beach. Khmer Arts. Web. 8 December 2013