Archive & Arts: Pen Sokhoun, Royal Ballet dancer and survivor of the Khmer Rouge

She met Princess Buppha Devi when she was very young and danced with her until the war separated them. In 1993, Pen Sokhoun was reunited with the Princess and the few survivors of Pol Pot's bloody regime. Together, they worked tirelessly to revive the ballet, restoring its grandeur and splendour throughout the world. Interview about some of the highlights of a survivor's life:

Pen Sokhoun (front) in Fez during a performance by the Royal Ballet

CM: Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Pen Sokhoun. I started training at the Royal Ballet when I was nine years old. I rehearsed at the palace, because my grandmother took me there when I was nine. It was during those years that I met HRH Princess Buppha Devi and started dancing with her.

I became a teacher in 1968 and taught until the Khmer Rouge arrived in 1975. But in the 1970s, things changed. With the civil war, there was often mortar fire and bombing, often close to the royal palace.

‘We were all afraid, but we continued to dance despite everything because we were passionate about it.’

But things got worse with the arrival of the Khmer Rouge. I was separated from my husband, my children, my grandparents, and one day I learned that they were all dead.

CM: How did you survive?

Let me tell you the truth. We quickly realised that we had to hide our activity, keep it secret. If the Khmer Rouge had known that I was a dancer with the Royal Ballet, they would have executed me on the spot. I couldn't stay in my home village because everyone knew me and called me Neak Loung, so my father sent me to another province.

CM: What happened when the Khmer Rouge fell?

When the war ended, I was in Thmor Kol in Battambang province. My mother was still alive and living in Phnom Penh. She had heard that the government was calling on artists to come forward to resume their activities. So I decided to return to the capital. At first, I worked at the Department of Arts of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and later I joined the art school where I still teach today..

CM: Tell us about your reunion with the Princess.

When I was training at the royal palace in the 1960s, I also rehearsed a lot with the Princess. I also accompanied her to performances. I don't remember when I last saw her before the fall of Phnom Penh, but I remember not seeing her again until 1993.

Of the more than 300 dancers and dance masters, only about 30 of us remained. And, as you can imagine, this reunion was very emotional.

Pen Sokhoun (far right) in Fez during a performance by the Royal Ballet

But I was so happy and excited to be able to work with her again after all this time. Since her return, I haven't left her side and I was really proud to be able to accompany her to performances abroad.

CM: Who was Buppha Devi to you?

For me, the Princess was a reference point for the Royal Ballet. She was extraordinarily talented at dancing and quickly grasped all the complexities of classical Khmer dance, but she was also a great artist who knew how to listen, adapt choreography, structure teaching programmes and, above all, breathe new life and grandeur into the Royal Ballet.

‘I believe that everyone who learned dance with her benefited from the best teacher of this complex and difficult art.’

After the war, she quickly realised the need to preserve this ancient art even more. Having the Royal Ballet listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site was a wonderful achievement for all of us. We are so grateful to her for this recognition, which has helped to promote Khmer classical dance throughout the world.

CM: What are the difficulties of teaching Khmer classical dance?

To be honest, being a dance teacher is difficult because I have a lot of responsibility. A dancer's future depends heavily on the quality of their training, I would even say 100%. And even among the best, there are sometimes roles that they find difficult to perform.

Take Phreah Ream, for example. Not all artists, even the best ones, are necessarily able to perform it correctly. That's where the difficulty of teaching high-quality classical dance lies. We can teach the basics without too much trouble, but shaping excellent dancers who are capable of performing the most difficult roles is much more complex than people think.

CM: What have been the best moments of your career?

The happiest moment was when I saw that my students were able to dance in high-quality shows. But today, I am also completely satisfied with my two daughters, who have become excellent dancers and who, I hope, will one day take over from me.

Finally, having been able to work with the princess for so many years has been a story full of great moments and great satisfaction. I am so happy to have been able to work with her.

Interview by Christophe Gargiulo. Thanks to H.R.H. Tesso Sisowath.