In Memoriam of Dahvy Tran Pech

The entire Angkor Dance Troupe family grieves the passing of Dahvy Tran Pech, who left us on March 1, 2023. All of our love and prayers are with her husband Van Pech and her family.

Dahvy was Executive Director of Angkor Dance Troupe from 2015 to 2019, and then served on the Board of Directors as Clerk. Previously, she worked at the International Institute as Youth Program Manager, and she served on the Boards of the Southeast Asian Water Festival, Mill City Grows, Lowell Cultural Council, and Coalition for a Better Acre.

However, these titles do not capture the extent of everything she did and was for us. For years, she was the heart and soul of Angkor Dance Troupe, which would not have survived during some extremely lean years without her dedication. What we owe to her is as immeasurable as our grief.

Dahvy did everything with ferocious love, dedication, thoroughness, patience, and humor. She was of small stature, but she had the biggest brain and largest heart of anyone in the room. She was particularly invested in mentoring youth and cultivating a new generation of leaders. She was a fierce advocate for youth, for Cambodian Americans, and for people of color. She was a teacher, mentor, advocate, friend, sister. She gave every one of us so much love – and we will honor her memory by striving to live up to the impact she has left with us.

We love you, Dahvy.

Following Mekhala's Jewels

Upcoming project supported by the Spunk Fund.

Mekhala's Jewel alludes to the jeweled ball that the goddess Moni Mekhala holds in a revered dance drama. The jewel, in this project’s case, represents the knowledge – the light – these dancers have received from their beloved teacher Chea Samy, who appears in many of my tapes, teaching the very dancers at the heart of this project. Chea Samy passed away in 1994. She was a star of the royal troupe in the early 20th century, known for portraying Moni Mekhala.

Six team members will travel to Cambodia in November 2023:

• To bring the video documentation of Chea Samy as a teacher to life.

• To document recollections of those who studied directly with Chea Samy, about what was important to them about that teacher-student relationship. What made a difference in their lives as dancers, and as future teachers?

• To document recollections of the oldest dance teachers who appear in Toni’s videotapes, using the original footage as inspiration for stories and memories, with a focus on their experiences as students and as teachers, and as they interacted with Chea Samy.

• To offer opportunities for younger generations of Khmer dancers to learn about seminal figures in 20th and 21st century Cambodian history; think about the teacher-student relationship more deeply, so that they understand the depth of that relationship as experienced by their elders, and make informed choices about how they engage with their current dance teachers, and how they teach, if they become teachers.

• To train dancers in interviewing and documentation techniques.

More information to come: https://www.angkordance.org/following-mekhalas-jewel

Angkor Dance Troupe Featured in Yankee Magazine

In the Fall of 2019, a representative of Yankee Magazine reached out to Angkor Dance Troupe to capture photos for an editorial piece highlighting the Cambodian community in Lowell, MA. We appreciate the team for capturing the culture and recognizing the dance troupe as an important part of the Lowell story. Thank you to Heather Marcus, Tony Luong, Julia Clancy, and the rest of the Yankee Magazine crew.

Welcome to Cambodia Town | A Celebration of Cambodian Culture in Lowell, Massachusetts

Photos by Tony Luong

Photo 1: Khyla Lach and Kelly Ly pose for in costume for Sentimental Expression.

Photo 2: Vituu Touch in Fishing Dance costume.

Photo 3: A playful scene from the Fishing Dance featuring Roselynn Soung, Peter Chea, Salena Mam, Vituu Touch, Theary Ou, and Kevin Searth.

Photo 4: Kelly Ly poses during a scene from Sentimental Expression.

Yankee Magazine is the iconic American magazine covering the finest that New England has to offer, from home, food and travel coverage to arts & culture, current events, and history. Drawing readers from across generations and around the country, Yankee is New England’s storyteller: exploring the future, present, and past of this fabled region, and sharing the lifestyle secrets that only the locals know. Through beautiful photos, artwork, and unforgettable stories, Yankee paints a portrait of New England that feels like home to all who live here, and inspires people everywhere to discover the New England they dream of.