Cambodian artists to leave for month-long performance in US

Thirty Cambodian artists will leave Cambodia on Sunday for the United States to perform in four cities, according to a press statement from UNESCO-Cambodia on Friday. "On Sept.15, the Sacred Dancers of Angkor Troupe will embark on a challenging and much anticipated month-long tour of the U.S.," the statement said, adding that the troupe will perform in Boston, New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles until Oct.22. The tour was endorsed and supported by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, the Cambodian Government and the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh and was placed under the auspices of Princess Norodom Boppha Devi, it said. "Hailed by the King as highly talented and spiritual dance troupe, these 30 extraordinary young artists will be visiting four major cities performing a rare classical, folk and sacred Khmer dance and music," the statement said. It added that their mission is to bridge the Cambodian- Americans to their motherland during the Holy Month of Remembrance of the Ancestors (Pchum Ben which starts on Sept. 20) and to raise awareness about the Cambodian dance.