Wattanak Dance Troupe

Our Story

Wattanak Dance Troupe was founded in 2000 to preserve a sacred art form that nearly vanished during the Khmer Rouge genocide. Artists, teachers, and cultural leaders were systematically targeted, leaving entire lineages erased. One of our founders, Yousedy Peov, survived and became part of the first graduating class from the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh after the genocide. She, and other survivors, painstakingly rebuilt this dance form from memory, passing it down to the next generation of artists. Today, that legacy lives in Minnesota through Wattanak Dance Troupe. 

Our organization is a home for community, heritage, and artistic growth. We provide instruction, mentorship, and performance opportunities for youth and emerging artists while offering audiences the chance to experience this rich, expressive tradition. Each performance is both a celebration of artistry and a continuation of a lineage nearly lost to history.

Our Mission 

We exist to preserve, teach, and share classical and folk dance traditions with authenticity, integrity, and community care. Through education, public performance, and mentorship, we foster cultural pride, identity, and connection. Our work builds bridges between generations, offering young dancers skills and confidence, elders memories renewed, and audiences a window into a resilient, living heritage.

Community Engagement & 2025 Highlights

In 2025, we reached audiences across Minnesota through schools, museums, temples, festivals, and public performances. Many events included workshops, artist talks, and youth participation, ensuring that the tradition is experienced as a living practice. 

Educational & Youth Engagement

• Women & Girls in STEM – Science Museum of Minnesota

• AAPI in STEM – Science Museum of Minnesota

• Cultural Festival – Indian Mounds Elementary School

• APIDA Heritage Month – Minneapolis College

• OIL TALK: AAPI Heritage Month Workshop – Carleton College, Northfield

Arts & Museum Partnerships

• SCISO International Night – St. Catherine University

• Asian Heritage Signature Event – U.S. Bank Plaza

• Ballet Minnesota’s 36th Annual MN Dance Festival – Concordia University

• “My Soul of Gold” Opening – XIA Gallery & Café

• Meet at Mia: Divine Forms – Minneapolis Institute of Art

• Family Day Celebration – Minneapolis Institute of Art

• MN Humanities Center Performance – Union Depot

Community & Cultural Celebrations

• CAPMN Gala – Minneapolis

• CSAM Khmer New Year – University of Minnesota

• Khmer New Year Celebration – Watt Munisotaram

• Twin Cities West Metro Asian Fair – Hilde Performance Center

• Tiny Toones Fundraiser – Crooners Supper Club

• Cambodian Heritage Day – Oak Grove Middle School

• Gate Inauguration & Celebration – Watt Munisotaram

• The Abundance Ball with SEAD Project – St. Paul Event Center

Regional & National Representation

• International Dance Day Festival – Duluth

• Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival – Massachusetts (with Khmae Urban Ballet)

Artist Residency

• December 11–13: Khmae Urban Ballet Collaborative Residency 

Why Your Support Matters 

Every contribution to Wattanak Dance Troupe sustains not only our classes, mentorship, costumes, and performances, but also the broader community programs that connect people to dance, culture, and heritage. Your support allows us to:

• Offer accessible dance education to youth and families through in-studio classes, school partnerships, and community workshops.

• Support students in reconnecting with heritage by providing mentorship, scholarship opportunities, and access to cultural resources that nurture identity and confidence.

• Preserve a lineage nearly lost to history by passing down traditional dances, gestures, and storytelling that survived through generations.

• Create new works and collaborative projects that expand the art form, including site-specific performances, cross-cultural collaborations, and experimental choreography.

• Expand community engagement through artist residencies, museum and festival programming, interactive demonstrations, and opportunities for local audiences to participate in workshops or post-performance discussions.

• Provide additional resources for our students, such as costume support, professional coaching, music recordings, and access to performance opportunities at local, regional, and national venues.

Your generosity ensures that this living tradition not only survives but thrives, enabling dancers to develop skill and confidence, audiences to experience the beauty and resilience of the art form, and communities to celebrate culture, history, and creativity together. 

Coming Summer 2026

Following the Serpent’s Tail (Preah Thong Neang Neak)

Premiering at The Southern Theater · July 10–11, 2025

This new full-length work reimagines an ancestral origin story through dance, music, and storytelling. With your help, we can present it fully, costumes, music, workshops, and expanded community programming, bringing this tradition to life for all audiences.