Angkor Dance Troupe

The spirited Monkey Dance dazzles the audience.

Photo: Tim Chan Thou

Not long after his Cambodian refugee family settled into Lowell, Massachusetts, 14-year-old Samnang Hor's two older brothers sought refuge elsewhere: on the streets with a youth gang. But Samnang chose a different path. He joined the Angkor Dance Troupe and became a promising apprentice dancer. "I learned more about my own culture. I made new friends. I learned that I can express myself freely without any altercation. I also learned how to work as a team, to learn the dance and make it all flow smoothly."

Samnang's family experience is not uncommon in Lowell, home to the second largest Cambodian-American community in the United States. Their haven, however, is in an unexpected place: a nationally recognized traditional arts performing ensemble. Started in 1986 by a handful of resettled dancers and teachers, the Angkor Dance Troupe teaches and performs a repertoire of Cambodian folk and classical dances drawn from one of Cambodia's most prestigious cultural institutions.

The Troupe helps young people make constructive choices in their lives by immersing them in the rich cultural heritage from which they come. The organization has more than 40 youth apprentices who rigorously rehearse and participate in Troupe events. Most apprentices stay with the Troupe for at least four or five years. "Angkor's success in helping Cambodian young people navigate the difficult balance between contemporary youth culture and their cultural heritage makes the dance troupe one of our state's cultural treasures," says Mary Kelley, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Angkor Dance Troupe recently inaugurated Angkor Youth Dance, an after-school and summer youth program conducted in partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, the city police department and community schools program, and others. Angkor Youth Dance teaches Cambodian traditional dance while incorporating study skills training, violence prevention and drug resistance education, case management and referrals by professional social workers, and free meals. "It is a program designed to meet a critical need in our community," notes Troupe President Chhan Touch. "By teaching dance, we are saving lives."