Upcoming Performances/Workshops
From a performance of Ung Chinary’s, Cinnabar Heart for the Cambodian Student Association of Sacramento State University, 2013.
The Rebirth of Apsara in the Making:
Excerpts from the final day of rehearsals at Cambodia’s Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, June 2023.
The Rebirth of Apsara created by Charya Burt:
The Rebirth of Apsara, a Hewlett50 Commission, is a full-length dance/theatre work that investigates the relationship between art and war exploring how Cambodian arts and in particular Apsaras, fabled female celestial beings, have embodied the essence of Cambodian culture from ancient mythology to its post genocide resurrection. Mirroring her own life’s journey as an artist to explore the impact Apsara has had on both Khmer civilization and Cambodian artists of today, Charya Burt will set her re-imagined classical dance gestures to a musical score by renowned Cambodian-American composer Chinary Ung. Multi-talented composer Paul Dresher will provide live music along with Vietnamese instrumentalist Vân–Ánh Võ and others. Celebrated dancers from Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture who share Charya Burt’s passion for resurrecting the dance will join Burt and her company dancers to explore the impact artistic lineage has had on the rebirth of Cambodian classical dance. Cambodian-American theatre artist Kalean Ung will provide social and historical context using narrative and song to dramatize how today’s multigenerational Cambodian-American artists are empowering the Cambodian diaspora and redefining the Khmer spirit.
2024
May 18, 2024
Beautiful Dark World Premiere at The Mexican Heritage Plaza Theatre, San Jose, California: https://mosaicamerica.org/events/
With the support from the Creative Work Fund and in partnership with Mosaic American, Charya is also currently developing Beautiful Dark, a dance/theatre work exploring the social psychological impacts of colorism on immigrant communities of color: https://creativeworkfund.org/news/creative-work-fund-announces-1-1-million-in-grants-to-25-projects
February 4, 2024
The Rebirth of Apsara performance at Z Space in San Francisco, California: http://www.zspace.org/apsara
February 1, 2024
The Rebirth of Apsara World Premiere at the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California https://www.facebook.com/events/weill-hall-green-music-center/the-rebirth-of-apsara/180926961586362/
With the support of a 2021 Hewlett 50 Arts Commission Charya is currently developing the Rebirth of Apsara, in partnership with New Performance Traditions to explore how Khmer Arts has embodied the essence of Cambodian culture from ancient mythology to its post-1970s genocide revitalization: https://hewlett.org/recipient/musical-traditions-and-charya-burt/
2023
July 15, 2023
Peninsula International Dance Festival 2023 San Mateo Performing Arts Center: https://www.peninsulaballet.org/pidf
July 9, 2023
Beyond Bollywood Dance Series at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum – A Dance Dialogue with Charya Burt: https://asianart.org/beyond-bollywood-events/
April 23, 2023
Guest Artist for Vân-Ánh Võ’s Mekong: Life World Premiere in the Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University: https://live.stanford.edu/calendar/april-2023/vân-ánh-vanessa-võ
April 21, 2023
A special dance presentation at a photo exhibit held at the College of San Mateo by Colin Grafton about his experiences at a Cambodian refugee camp on the Thai border in 1980. https://events.collegeofsanmateo.edu/day/date/20230421
April 19, 2023
Featured Artist for Asia Game Changer West Awards Gala at San Francisco City Hall: https://asiasociety.org/northern-california/events/2023-asia-game-changer-west-awards-gala
April 7, 2023
Guest Artist for Vân-Ánh Võ’s Mekong: Soul World Premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC: https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/international/2022-2023/riverrun-van-anh-vo-mekong-soul/
March 17, 2023
Guest Artist for Vân-Ánh Võ’s Mekong: Life work-in-progress: https://museumca.org/event/friday-nights-at-omca-with-off-the-grid-van-anh-vanessa-vo/
February 17 & 18, 2023
Guest Artist for Vân-Ánh Võ’s Mekong: Soul: https://asiasociety.org/texas/events/mekong-soul
2022
October 27, 2022
Guest Artist for Vân-Ánh Võ’s Mekong: Life: https://environment.princeton.edu/event/musician-van-anh-vo-to-perform-mekong-life/
October 21-23, 2022
19th Anniversary of the San Francisco Trolley Dances: https://epiphanydance.org/san-francisco-trolley-dances
October 6, 2022
Guest Artist for Vân-Ánh Võ, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco: https://calendar.asianart.org/event/music-as-conversation-with-van-anh-vo-and-the-blood-moon-orchestra/
June – September, 2022
Hosted Dance/USA Archive Fellow, Lingyu Wang, who assisted the further development of Charya Burt Cambodian Dance Digital Library. https://www.danceusa.org/dance-usa-announces-2022-cohort-of-archiving-and-preservation-fellows
May 18-20, 2022
Keynote speaker at the 2022 American for the Arts Conference: https://convention.artsusa.org
January 28, 2022: A full evening production of classical Cambodian dance entitled: Kingdom of the Divine with dances from the classical repertory and original works by Charya Burt performed by Charya Burt’s company dancers with live pin-peat music on the occasion of the closing weekend of the Revealing Krishna Exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art. This event has been postponed due to Covid.
https://www.clevelandart.org/events/music-and-performances/charya-burt-cambodian-classical-dance
Charya is currently working with noted Vietnamese composer Vân-Ánh Võ on To Touch Again: A Journey Through the Pandemic, a commission from Mosaic Fellows Program, Mosaic America, San Jose, California.
March 2021 – February 2022
Building on-line resources and conducting virtual workshops for Cambodian Dance Communities in California. Alliance for California Traditional Arts: Living Cultures, Charya Burt Cambodian Dance Digital Legacy Library: https://www.actaonline.org/profile/charya-burt-cambodian-dance-company/
May 26 – November 21, 2021
Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program working with current apprentice, Victoria Ung. https://www.actaonline.org/profile/charya-cheam-burt/