{"id":1114,"date":"2014-04-12T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2014-04-12T01:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharecircus.org\/blog\/?p=1114"},"modified":"2021-12-26T14:09:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-26T07:09:22","slug":"meet-the-stars-chantha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharecircus.org\/meet-the-stars-chantha\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Stars: Chantha"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chanta(1)\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meet the Stars: Chantha<\/h2>\n

Meet Sim Chantha, 21, from Battambang.
\nCurrently performing in Phare\u2019s production, Eclipse, Chantha is an acrobat and juggling specialist. He also is a skilled break-dancer, though he\u2019s very modest about it.<\/p>\n

Chantha joined Phare at 10 years old. He didn\u2019t have much motivation to do or be anything when he grew up.\u00a0 This was until of course his brother joined Phare. He couldn\u2019t believe the skills his older sibling was able to acquire so quickly! He was able to do backflips! His brother was always an inspiration to him all around; always able to do every stunt that the other students were working on at the circus school. He also kept Chantha working hard as an acrobat, pushing him to train frequently. Chanta\u2019s sister stepped in too to make sure he was staying on top of his academic studies.<\/p>\n

Ever been in trouble? When he was young, mischief was never far off\u2026 once after practice when he was an early teenager, he and his friends went out drinking and then moto\u2019d around town.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long before the police caught them and brought them to the station. Luckily some of his older friends (some musicians who also went to school at Phare) bailed him out.\u00a0 His family was none too pleased when he got home.<\/p>\n

\"Chanta(2)\"<\/a>First creative moment? When he saw a famous Cambodian-American breakdancer, K.K. (Tuy Sobil) perform; it changed his perspective on creative movement. His first goal is keeping his circus skills up, but he makes sure to visit this K.K.\u2019s studio and practice some breakdance skills whenever he visits Phnom Penh and has spare time.<\/p>\n

\"Chanta(3)\"<\/a>Favorite trick? A breakdance move called the Air Flare. I saw him do this move during a show and couldn\u2019t believe my eyes. I was also too distracted to take a picture, but imagine it from this picture\u2026 he spins around on his hands with his legs straddled making himself into a human helicopter propeller.<\/p>\n

\"Chanta(4)\"<\/a>Where does he see himself in 10 years? Chantha wants to open a \u201cB-boy\u201ddance gear shop with styles that dancers favor \u2013 he likes the hip-hop culture styles he saw at a shop when he studied circus in France and he wants to make this available in Cambodia.<\/p>\n

I know I would shop there. After you\u2019ve finished with the Angkor temples, come see Chantha blend some of these moves in our modern circus production, Eclipse. We\u2019re the best show in town and you\u2019ve only got a few nights in Siem Reap\u2013 don\u2019t miss it!<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Read more about the show Chantha appears in: Eclipse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Find out more about some of Chantha’s co-stars in their Phare Blog interviews:<\/p>\n