21st annual KhSA New Year Show

On April 15, the Khmer (Cambodian) Student Association (KhSA) hosted its 21st annual KhSA New Year Show. Taking place in the HUB ballroom, the six hour event consisted of food, entertainment, and community building. The event consisted of traditional dress/attire, a seated dinner of fish cakes and beef skewers, and a program of music, dance, and culture.

KhSA was formed in 1982 with a mission to focus mostly on academics and community. Currently, it aims to engage the Cambodian community, young and old, to come together and share traditions, experiences, culture, and a rich history. KhSA has recently focused its efforts on preventing the potential elimination of the Khmer language program at UW. The association believes that the language program is imperative to the understanding of Cambodian history and culture, and feels that eliminating the language program from UW would be devastating.

The New Year show opened with the “blessing dance” that is traditionally performed to welcome guests, and included the main performance of the play, “A Tale of Two Mountains,” which re-enacted cultural traditions, addressed prior gender roles, and featured both Cambodian and English dialogue throughout. The evening ended with a “circle dance” in which the entire audience moved together in a slowly rotating ring. The student organizers did a great job with this year’s event.

Picture from: UW KhSA Facebook page