Lessons from the University of Illinois Dance Professor

Kirstie Simson, professor in dance at the University of Illinois, will be traveling with M.F.A graduates Renay Aumiller and Laura Chiarmonte to Arn Chorn Ponds school, Cambodian Living Arts World Education, in Cambodia to meet the masters and students at his school and work with Cambodian dancers and artists as well as Cambodian children.  Also they will be teaching workshops in Southern Cambodia at  a center for Cambodian dancers who have been injured through accidents involving mines Their mission is to share their art form with them and to learn about theirs. An exchange of art and culture which carries with it a message of peace and caring.

From their blog:

In the afternoon yesterday we taught a 2hr workshop to the staff of the 3 Boddhi Tree  hotels. Manuel the owner organized it for his staff.

We taught on the wooden stage of Savanna Phun (where we saw the shadow puppet performances). We got there before they arrived and cleared away the red ants that seemed to be making some kind of nest on the stage! It was hotter than you can believe and we were extremely surprised when a group of 20+ people ranging in age arrived.

When we sat and introduced ourselves it was also surprising to see that everyone in the company from the house keepers to the assistant manager, the book keepers, the chefs and the restaurant staff came!
We did a demonstration of improvisation for them, and then we invited them to do some stretching, some Tai Chi and partner exercises including handstands and cartwheels, partner stretching, simple lifts and ended with nice relaxing body work . They were all extremely game and gave everything a try. Seeing as none of them were dancers they did brilliantly and much of what we did was alien to them and their culture. They all seemed very happy by the end as were we.