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Charya Burt

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Neak Kru
Charya Cheam Burt
Born
Chancharya Cheam

(1970-07-15) July 15, 1970 (age 54)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
EducationDance at Royal University of Fine Arts
BA in Liberal Arts Cum Laude at Sonoma State University
SpouseRob Burt
Parent(s)Bee Cheam, Sameth Chheng
RelativesChheng Phon
Websitehttps://charyaburt.com

Charya Cheam Burt (born July 15, 1970) is a Cambodia-born American dancer, choreographer, vocalist, and teacher of Khmer classical dance. She is founder of Charya Burt Cambodian Dance company based in North San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States.

Life and career

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Charya Cheam Burt was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Bee Cheam and Sameth Chheng. Following the Khmer Rouge genocide, Burt was inspired to dance by her uncle Chheng Phon, training with Cambodia's surviving dance masters including Soth Sam On and toured internationally as a member of Royal Dance Troupe of Cambodia. In 1990, she became a dance faculty member at Cambodia's Royal University of Fine Arts.[1][2][3][4][5]

In 1993, Burt emigrated to the United States. Since then, she has been performing classical and original dances, creating and choreographing new dance works rooted in tradition, and training students throughout California, including multiple stints as artist-in-residence at Cambodian cultural centers in Stockton, San Jose, and Khmer Arts Academy in Long Beach.[6][7][8][9][10]

An inaugural Dance/USA and 2022 Americans for the Arts Johnson Fellow and Isadora Duncan Award recipient for Individual Performance, Burt has received multiple grants from the Center for Cultural Innovation, Creative Work Fund, and Alliance for California Traditional Arts including their Living Cultures Grant (2021) to create the Charya Burt Cambodian Dance Digital Library.[11][8][12][13][14][15][3] A Hewlett 50 Commission was awarded her in 2021 to create The Rebirth of Apsara: Artistic Lineage, Cultural Resilience and the Resurrection of Cambodian Arts from the Ashes of Genocide that premiered at Sonoma State University's Green Music Center in 2024.[16][17][18][19]

Burt has performed her original works throughout the United States at venues including Jacob's Pillow, San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.[20][21][22][23][15] Themes of her works include preservation and renewal of the Cambodian dance art-form, elevating of community dance groups, histories of Khmer Rouge and South East Asia, and colorism across contemporary cultures.[24][25][26][3][27]

Major choreographic works

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  • Beautiful Dark (2024)
    • In partnership with Mosaic America supported by a Creative Work Fund Grant.[28]
    • May 2024 Premiere at Mexican Heritage Plaza Theatre, San Jose, California.[29]
  • The Rebirth of Apsara (2024)
    • A Folk And Traditional Arts Hewlett 50 Commission co-produced by New Performance Traditions/Paul Dresher Ensemble.[16][30][31]
    • February 2024 Premiere at Weill Hall, Green Music Center, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California.[17][32]
    • Composer: Chinary Ung[33]
  • Silenced (2018)
    • Supported by grants from Investing in Artists/Center for Cultural Innovation, Dancers' Group, and Alliance for California Traditional Arts.[34]
    • June 2018 Premiere with dancers from Khmer Arts Academy at the Studio Theatre Long Beach State University, Long Beach California.[34]
  • Of Spirits Intertwined (2018)
    • Presented by World Arts West for the 40th Anniversary of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, California.[35]
  • Heavenly Garden (2016)

Major awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ "Underground Jazz Cabaret | Bay Area Cabaret | The Rebirth of Apsara". KALW. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  2. ^ "Legendary traditional Khmer dance master Neak Kru Charya Burt". The Phnom Penh Post.
  3. ^ a b c "Cambodia's Dark Past Behind Her, A Dancer Steps into the Light | KQED". 20 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Watch the 1000-year-old dance tradition nearly killed by the Khmer Rouge". PBS News. April 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "HELLO SUORSDEY - Khmer Arts Academy with Master Dance Instructur CHARYA BURT 11/18/17". January 15, 2018 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ Ulrich, Allan (May 31, 2013). "Encounter with Charya Burt Cambodian Dance". San Francisco Chronicle.
  7. ^ Ulrich, Allan. "Dance review: Charya Burt in S.F." SFGATE.
  8. ^ a b Howard, Rachel. "Cambodian dancer turns to Tennessee Williams". SFGATE.
  9. ^ "Charya Cheam Burt". Alliance for California Traditional Arts. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  10. ^ Dixon, Erica. "Charya Burt". CounterPulse. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  11. ^ a b "2007 - 2000". The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards.
  12. ^ a b "Dance/USA Artist Fellows". Dance/USA.
  13. ^ a b "Charya Burt Cambodian Dance Company". Alliance for California Traditional Arts.
  14. ^ "Press Releases | Americans for the Arts". Americans for the Arts.
  15. ^ a b "Community Builders: Transmission and Legacies of Immigrant American Artists". Dance/USA. September 24, 2020.
  16. ^ a b c "Musical Traditions and Charya Burt".
  17. ^ a b "The Rebirth of Apsara at Green Music Center". www.happeningsonomacounty.com.
  18. ^ "Hewlett Foundation will fund 10 creative projects in folk and traditional arts".
  19. ^ Cavazos, Elsa (January 25, 2022). "Windsor resident wins fellowship for work with Cambodian dance". SoCoNews. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  20. ^ "Inside/Out: Charya Burt Cambodian Dance".
  21. ^ Ulrich, Allan (June 10, 2013). "Dance review: Charya Burt in S.F." SFGATE.
  22. ^ "Green Show Artist: Charya Burt Cambodian Dance". Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
  23. ^ "Charya Burt Presents Dances Of Cambodia At OSF". Jefferson Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024.
  24. ^ "Mosaic Fellow - Charya Burt".
  25. ^ (2019) Art helps create social change in refugee communities thanks to article The Windsor Star
  26. ^ "Charya Burt Cambodian Dance & Khmer Arts Academy Presents: "SILENCED"". April 26, 2018 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ TAYLOR, DAN (February 18, 2022). "How a Cambodia-born Windsor choreographer is using dance to help save her native culture". Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
  28. ^ "Creative Work Fund Announces $1.1 Million in Grants to 25 Projects | Creative Work Fund". creativeworkfund.org.
  29. ^ "Beautiful Dark - A Recap". May 31, 2024.
  30. ^ Gilbert, Andrew (January 31, 2024). "A Cultural Mission: New life for Cambodian arts with 'The Rebirth of Apsara'". Mission Local.
  31. ^ "The Rebirth of Apsara Brings Centuries-Old Cambodian Spirits to Life". www.sfcv.org.
  32. ^ TAYLOR, DAN (January 25, 2024). "2 years in the making, Cambodian dance performance gets premiere in Rohnert Park". Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
  33. ^ "Composer Chinary Ung Pays Tribute to His Mentor Chou Wen-chung". www.bmi.com. 14 March 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Innovative Artist and Traditional Teacher: the Passions of Cambodian Choreographer Charya Burt". dancersgroup.org.
  35. ^ "Uniting U.S. through dance" (PDF). 40th San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. San Francisco. 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  36. ^ "2022 Johnson Fellowship Distinguished Nominees, Nominators, Selection Panel".
  37. ^ "2022 Seed Commissions Artists".
  38. ^ "Announcing ACTA's 2021 Living Culture Grantees". 19 April 2021.
  39. ^ "Announcing the 2021 ACTA Apprenticeship Cohort". 8 February 2021.
  40. ^ "Charya Burt Cambodian Dance & Khmer Arts Academy Presents: "SILENCED"". YouTube. 26 April 2018.
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