In this episode, host Chad sits down with Neak Kru Charya, a master teacher and choreographer of Cambodian classical dance, at the Cambodian Heritage Museum in Chicago. Neak Kru shares her inspiring journey from Cambodia to the United States, reflecting on how her life experiences shaped her devotion to keeping Khmer traditions alive and accessible to new generations.
The conversation explores her lifelong commitment to Cambodian classical dance, an art form that embodies centuries of history, spirituality, and cultural storytelling. Neak Kru discusses how she uses dance as both an educational tool and a cultural bridge—helping Cambodian American youth reconnect with their heritage while also sharing the beauty of Khmer arts with wider audiences.
She highlights her current projects focused on teaching, mentorship, and community engagement, emphasizing the importance of passing down discipline, knowledge, and pride to ensure that the art form endures. Beyond technique and performance, she underscores how dance fosters healing, resilience, and cultural pride, particularly within communities still carrying the weight of displacement and historical trauma.
Looking to the future, Neak Kru Charya shares her vision for Cambodian arts in the diaspora—calling for stronger institutional support, intergenerational teaching, and opportunities for Khmer traditions to flourish in evolving cultural landscapes.
This conversation illuminates Neak Kru Charya’s artistry, leadership, and unwavering belief that dance is far more than performance—it is a living cultural legacy, a form of resistance against forgetting, and a powerful expression of identity and resilience.
