Amrita works with the Cambodian Ministry of Culture, as well as with local and  international artists, to mount performances of not only classical ballets but also contemporary works representing all forms of dance, theater and music. It also fosters creativity and the exchange of artistic ideas through workshops, technical assistance, regional exchange programs and international tours.

Recent Performances and tours include:

Weyreap’s Battle: a Lakjoan Kaol classical male masked dance depicting a story from the Ramayana epic. This production, incorporating nearly eighty artists, was collaboration between Cambodia’s Royal University of Fine Arts and the country’s National Theater. It was funded by the Embassy of the United States in Cambodia and performed in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Thailand and the 2005 Melbourne Arts Festival.  The original revival of this work was sponsored by the Embassy of the United States of America in Phnom Penh.  Upcoming performances include the Barbican Center in London in March 2007.

The Monkey Army

"3 Years, 8 Months, 20 Days": A new play directed by the renowned Dutch director Annemarie Prins, depicting the lives of three actresses during the Khmer Rouge regime.  The piece premiered in February 2006 and is slated to perform at the 2007 Singapore International Arts Festival with a possible tour to Europe.

Samritechak: a Cambodian classical dance interpretation of Shakespeare’s "Othello" created by Sophiline Cream Shapiro. The production toured to the 2002 Hong Kong Arts Festival, to the United States in 2003 and to the 2003 Venice Biennale Festival with Peter Sellars as artistic director.

Seasons of Migration: a new creation of classical Cambodian dance that explores the five stages of culture shock. Produced by the Khmer Arts Academy in Long Beach California in collaboration with Amrita, it was choreographed by Sophiline Cream Shapiro.  It premiered in Cambodia in 2004 and toured the United States.

Revitalizing Monkeys and Giants: A contemporary dance workshop and showcase produced by Cambodian and Thai artists, and based on the Cambodian Kaol masked dance form.  It was initiated by Amrita and the Department of Dramatic Arts of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok Thailand, and sponsored by the Prince Claus Foundation.  This groundbreaking work premiered in Phnom Penh in April 2005 and will be part of the opening event of the opening of the new National Museum of Singapore in December 2006.

Neang Kakei: A Lakhaon Bassac Cambodian Chinese Opera revival commissioned by the Liz Lutz Family Foundation in the spring of 2005.  Following technical workshops with Mr. Wu Hsing Guo, director of the Contemporary Legend Theater in Taipei with support from the Asian Cultural Council, the production was remounted at the Chenla Theater in Phnom Penh in July 2006.

Night Please Go Faster: An evening of contemporary theater and dance featuring "Photographs From S-21"- a short play by Catherine Filloux and "The Glass Box" by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro.  This production has been presented in Cambodia, the 2003 Festival of Asian Women Directors in New Delhi and Calcutta, the 2004 Bangkok Fringe Festival, the 2005 Singapore Asia Arts Mart, the 2006 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival, produced by the Necessary Stage and the Actors Studio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Cambodian Circus: This monthly series of circus performances was initiated by RUFA's Faculty of Circus as a means of generating income to sustain future performances that will need only partial sponsorship.  The pilot series was supported by the Kasumiso Foundation and will continue later in 2006 once the new RUFA campus is complete

DTW Mekong Project: This six week event, sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation through Dance Theater Workshop in New York, took place in November 2004 and brought together fifteen artists from throughout the Mekong region with workshops taking place in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang.    The program concluded with two public showings of cross cultural works developed throughout the process.  Four Cambodian artists were among the fifteen participants and an additional six young Cambodian artists participated as volunteers and performed in the final program.

DTW Mekong Project November 2004

Ongoing Programs

The Rockefeller/ACC Mentorship Program: A scheme that focuses on research, documentation and the transfer of knowledge and experience from elder artists to younger teachers.  It also arranges for teachers and students from the Royal University of Fine Arts to attend international conferences and workshops; currently entering its tenth year.

The Cambodian Artists Program: An initiative supported by LINC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity) that teaches artists the process of grant writing, leading to fully staged productions of new theater, dance and music as well as research and documentation projects.  Numerous new works and revivals have been initiated out of this program which also supports a delegation of arts practitioners and presenters from the US and Asia for a week of workshops in Cambodia every February.

ANA - Arts Network Asia: Funded by the Ford Foundation, this program is unique in that it fosters collaboration between Asian Artists, respecting indigenous cultures while attempting to create new works that break down cultural barriers.  Amrita is the Cambodian representative on the panel which awards on the average of fifteen projects per year, several of which have benefited Cambodian artists including a collaboration between Sovanna Phum of Cambodia with Indonesian dancers and puppeteers.