Of personal and, increasingly, professional interest to me is the way the arts can be used to promote change, both on an individual and societal basis. One of the wonderful aspects of my involvement with Cambodia is that is seems to attract artists and people interested in the arts, and I am finding more and more organisations doing extraordinary work with Cambodians through art.

I have recently learned about a young Khmer dancer, Sy Sar, who was “discovered” by a Western filmmaker with a keen interest and involvement with ballet, director Anne Bass. She made a film about the way she was able to interest Western classical ballet dancers in his unique talent, and how a group of people joined together to get him the training and then the exposure he needs. He is now a coveted ballet dancer in the States and yet he has kept close ties with his roots back in Cambodia and works bringing dance and, thereby, a better life to the children there. This is an amazing story. The film is called Dancing Across Borders, and  I urge you to go read about the film and the story behind it here. And in the meantime, check this out: