Organization
Morodok Khmer Performing Arts
Morodok Khmer Performing Arts (MKPA) is a community Cambodian dance group based in Stockton, California.[1][2] It is also known as Khmer Morodok Performing Arts (KMPA).[1] The group works in Cambodian classical, folk and vernacular dance, and it aims to carry the art across generations and to collaborate with other communities.[3]
History
Sophany V. Inn Bodine, a former student of the dancer and teacher Charya Burt, founded the group and directs it.[1][2] Bodine was born and raised in Stockton to refugee parents who came to the United States in the 1980s, and through dance she carries on her great-grandmother's artistic legacy.[2] Charya Burt mentors her, and since January 2019 Burt has led workshops with the group from time to time at Wat Dhammararam in Stockton, where she has often been a guest teacher.[4][1] The group has practiced every Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.[1] Lon Chan, a dancer who was also born and raised in Stockton, makes the troupe's costumes; his theatrical and Cambodian dance costume work is self-taught.[2]
Repertoire
Among the group's dances is Robam Phlett, the Fan Dance. It grew out of a much older dance that was first performed with bunches of flowers instead of fans. In the 1950s it was reshaped to glorify the Cambodian king and the grace of his rule, and in the 1960s it was among the dances most often performed at Chhom Khar Mon Palace. It is sometimes confused with Robam Mekar, but the two dances have no direct link.[5]
Performances
In April 2019 the group danced at the Cambodian New Year celebration at Wat Dhammararam in Stockton.[1] On March 5, 2023, it performed at the annual Stockton Chinese New Year Festival at the San Joaquin County Historical Museum at Micke Grove.[6]
At the 28th annual celebration of Cambodian New Year, the most important traditional festival and national holiday in Cambodia, on March 23, 2024, the group performed the Fan Dance. Savy Yinn and Morrison Chea taught the piece, and Morrison Chea, Lon Chan, Timothy Oum and Sophany Bodine danced it.[5] Later in 2024 it performed at the Mid-Autumn Festival on Chung Wah Lane in Stockton.[7] On March 29, 2025, it was among the groups at the 29th Annual Cambodian New Year Celebration on Temple Hill, at the Oakland Temple and Visitors Center, an evening of cultural performances followed by food, games, live music and social dancing.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Charya Burt Cambodian Dance, Community Engagement
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 United Cambodian American Network, Stockton
- ↑ Morodok Khmer Performing Arts, Facebook page
- ↑ Charya Burt Cambodian Dance, Mentorships
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Temple Hill, 28th Annual Cambodian New Year program (March 2024, PDF)
- ↑ San Joaquin County Historical Museum, Upcoming events
- ↑ Downtown Stockton Alliance, Mid-Autumn Festival 2024
- ↑ Visit Oakland, 29th Annual Cambodian New Year Celebration (March 29, 2025)