Maria Tate
By School of Performing Arts
Maria Tate graduated from WSU in 2006 with a BFA in Dance. Since graduation Maria
has performed and/or taught with Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Ballet, Joel Hall Dancers (Chicago),
Spark! Circus in Thailand and many others. Maria was set to tour with Circus Vargas
in the United States beginning April 2020 but due to the Covid-19 pandemic she did
not get to chase that particular dream. Maria recently relocated to Battambang, Cambodia
to take up a position as Arts Education Specialist at Phare Ponlue Selpak , a world
class circus organization and arts integration school with a 27 year history of improving
lives through the power of the arts.
Maria arrived in Cambodia on June 24, 2021. She then spent a mandatory two weeks of
quarantine in a hotel in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. On July 9 Maria and
two colleagues made the 6 hour journey from Phnom Penh to Battambang Province, the
home of Phare Ponleu Selpak. Phareps.org
Maria received employment based on her experience in the fields of arts and education.
Maria is unique in that she has training and professional experience in circus and
performing arts, both as a performer and an instructor, AND professional experience
as a Kindergarten and Elementary Teacher. This combination of skills matches well
with Phare Ponleu Selpak 鈥榮 programs and missions.
鈥淐urrently I am learning as much as I can about the school, our programs and Khmer
culture (pronounced Kuh-mai). By learning from my colleagues I hope to combine my
knowledge of arts integrated curriculum with their vast experience and success, in
order that I may best serve to foster growth at Phare. I am also hoping to perform
in our Big Top circus tent, right here on campus! Sadly, we are not able to have shows
now due to the Covid 19 pandemic. However, there is hope! The Cambodian government
is currently administering a huge vaccination campaign. Just yesterday, many of my
colleagues were able to get their first dose this week along with at least 8,000 others!
We do not know when we will be able to welcome students and spectators back to our
beautiful campus but these vaccinations are an important step in that direction. 鈥�
My hope is that I am able to bring awareness to my family and friends back in Kansas
about the amazing programs here at Phare and the magnificent Khmer people of Cambodia,
including their traditional dance and music and our supremely talented circus performers.
J I am so excited to begin my journey at Phare and can鈥檛 wait to see what the future
holds.鈥�
More about Phare
Our Story
The 鈥楤rightness of The Arts鈥� has taken root back in the 1980s in a refugee camp on
the Thai border, after the Khmer Rouge Regime devastated Cambodia. There, the French
humanitarian V茅ronique Decrop started to teach drawing and painting classes for refugee
children, to help them express their traumas.
After the camp closed years later, V茅ronique and 9 of her most passionate students
decided to found a drawing school back in their Cambodian hometown, Battambang, to
help the marginalized local youth in return. The original drawing school has progressively
been transformed over its 27 years of existence into a multi-faceted creative hub,
to which 4 of the original founders are still actively committed today.
Phare Circus Shows
Phare鈥檚 international reputation is mostly conveyed through our social circus. Phare
shows share Cambodian stories through drama, dance, live music & modern circus arts.
They are inspired by the real-life experiences of its creators and performers and
deal with themes such as war, discrimination, relationships, poverty and ghosts. Phare
circus toured in many Countries around the world and gained international recognition
over the years, being often called the "Cambodian Cirque du Soleil" today.
We currently have one Big Top in Battambang where our students used to perform up
to 4 times a week before the pandemic and a Big Top in Siem Reap run by Phare鈥檚 sister
social enterprise where Phare graduates performed daily before the pandemic. The benefits
used to be re-injected in our school programs and a percentage directly given back
to the students to support their livelihoods. The income generated by these professional
venues is used to greatly contribute to cover Battambang school programs鈥� costs (60%
of our annual operating costs) in a virtuous circle of development.
Our Mission
In a country where the artistic culture was destroyed through years of conflict, Phare
Ponleu Selpak promotes a sense of Cambodian pride and identity. Our mission is steeped
in the duty of remembrance and contribute in the reviving of the local art scene.
Over 1000 students attend our schools and programs. General education, performing
arts (circus, theatre, dance, music), visual and applied arts (drawing, painting,
graphic and product design, animation) : all our leisure and vocational programs aim
to develop their creativity, communication and life skills, and give them the opportunity
to access a sustainable artistic career. For most of our beneficiaries, it also means
lifting themselves and their family out of poverty.鈥�
