Cambodian contemporary dancer Belle (Chumvan Sodhachivy) explores tensions between what society demands of us and what really makes us human in a brand new modern dance performance at Institut Français du Cambodge.

Called Résilience, the show is focussed on the idea of work: the work that we have to do to be considered useful and to earn money… and, on the other end of the scale, the work that we feel to be valuable, that turns our dreams into reality or brings joy to those around us.

As Belle puts it:

“Too often, we unwillingly perform tasks we do not want to do, affecting our freedom, our emotions, and sometimes our health. All our efforts are put into our daily work, as modern society recognises success only if it is professional, overlooking the true value of a person: their humanity.”

Who Is Belle?

A classically trained Cambodian dancer who has performed all over the world, Belle now lectures at the Faculty of Choreography Arts in Phnom Penh and is a a choreographer and dancer at Amrita Performing Arts.

To get an idea of how Belle’s choreography style weaves together elements of classical and contemporary dance styles, take a look at the video below:

Résilience, by Belle (Chumvan Sodhachivy), 6.30pm, Friday 29th September @ IFC Movie Theatre. Tickets cost $10 / $5 for Students and under-18s