Friday, January 12, 2024

Z Space to Host Cambodian Dance/Theatre

Poster designed by Craig Stewart including photograph of Charya Burt by RJ Muna

At the beginning of next month, Z Space will host the performance of The Rebirth of Apsara. This will be a full-length dance/theatre work with origins in Cambodian (Khmer) mythology, tracing the impact of a myth that was resurrected after the Khmer Rouge genocide, which took place between 1975 and 1979. Apsaras are fabled female celestial beings, and choreography by Charya Burt explores the impact Apsara has had on both Khmer civilization and contemporary Cambodian artists.

The music for that choreography was composed by Chinary Ung. Burt will lead her own Cambodian Dance Company, whose members are Ryan Boun, Mea Lath, and Virginia Park. They will be joined by three dancers from Cambodia: Narim Nam, Rady Nget, and Chanmoly Vuth. Music Direction will be by Paul Dresher, who will contribute additional compositions, along with works by Pinit Pich and Sokunthea Ros. Dresher will also be one of the performing musicians, along with Joel Davel, Susan Ung, and Vân-Ánh Võ. The performance will be further augmented with video designed by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh.

Z Space is located in the Mission District at 450 Florida Street. The performance will begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 4. General admission will be $25 with a $12.50 rate for youth and students. Z Space has created a Web page for online ticket purchases.

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