The Kinnaly is an ancient Laotian dance about mythical sisters living in the legendary Himmapan Forest. These “daughters of the sky” escape their father’s celestial playground to take part in human pleasures, such as bathing in a river. The dancers enact this visit to the river by gliding in unison with every bent knee, flat foot and hand gesture designed to deliver a particular message. It’s done to the traditional songs that mimic the tonal inflections of the language as well as the high-pitched sounds of the instruments. “There’s a story behind every movement,” said Silaphone Nhongvongsouthy, executive director of the Laotian Community Center (LCC) of Rhode Island and a former dancer. “It’s the beauty of a 1,000-year-old culture. It touched me and helped make me into the person I am.”
One of several in the repertoire of, the Laotian Dance Troupe of Rhode Island, the Kinnaly is performed throughout the state. The group’s goal, and that of the LCC itself, is to spread the history and culture of the Laotian people before it disappears into the American mainstream. Since the LCC was formed in 2000 it has worked to reinforce Laotian culture and give the local Laotian population a sense of identity with which to teach their culture to others. “If the youth doesn’t know about our culture, it won’t be important to them to carry it on,” Nhongvongsouthy said.
Another important aspect of the LCC is to preserve the music of Laos, accomplished by introducing instruments such as the “saw,” also known as a Laotian violin. The two-string instrument rests on the player’s lap with the strings pointing skyward. It sounds similar to a violin but with a more hollow, understated tone. Another instrument of focus at the LCC is the kaen, a bamboo mouth organ that sounds similar to a harmonica.
The LCC is also a breeding ground for artistic expression including drawing, watercolor, crafts and oil painting. The LCC also recently had its first annual talent show, which included departures from traditional offerings. Laotian youth had a chance to express more modern aspects of everyday culture. The winners were a crew of break-dancers known as 4loor0h1ne, (sounds like “401”) who began performing together in the summer of 2011. This was their first talent show competition and it was won with a routine put together at the last minute according to its leader, Susallin Chhean. The crew, which got its start at a park near Reservoir Avenue in Providence, includes a Laotian member, Chris Vongkhangkeo. “We feel honored that the Laotian Community Center was willing to bring the hip-hop culture and blend it into their culture and tradition. It was a chance to innovate and learn new things from each other.” To watch a six-minute sample performance of the group, click here. We know you’ll be amazed at their youthful exuberance and their display of pure joy in their dance routine. Nhongvongsouthy said there is always room for artistic skill at the LCC. “There is room to grow in Laotian art. Maybe someday the tradition will evolve into a different from of expression.”
The president of the LCC, James Phommasith, agrees. He came to the United States alone from a refugee camp in Thailand in 1981 after escaping communism. “This is important to me. I want people to know where they are coming from, to know their past.” In addition to traditional dances, the LCC focuses on several areas of Laotian culture. Among those is language preservation. Many of the children born to newcomers from Laos understand the language as it is often spoken at home. Thus, the LCC has introduced classes to offer students the opportunity to gain proper conversational skills as well as the ability to read and write the language.
Phommasith’s journey began before Laos became a communist country. When he was about 20, he was training to become an officer in the Laotian military. The country was taken over and Phommasith was moved to a seminary in the suburbs of the capital, Vientiane. He escaped to Thailand, where he remained as a refugee for years before coming to the United States in 1981. According to the State Department, 250,000 residents of Laos were resettled into countries including the United States. “About 99 percent of the Laotian community in the United States came from refugee camps,” Phommasith said, adding that the Laotian immigrants were scattered throughout their new country. “It was hard to regroup year after year. We often organized through the religious communities.”
Phommasith, like so many others, searched for a way to adapt and reconnect to his Buddhist roots. His search, and those of many of his countrymen, led to the LCC’s formation in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Today, the LCC has grown into a complex that includes the Center itself, a home for the three Buddhist monks and a separate temple. Leading to the Center is a road of Asian character that distinguishes it from its farmland neighbors. Golden lions sit perched along the driveway, representing strength, regality and power. According to Laotian tradition, the lion is the protector of Buddha and the gateway between the living and the dead. The pillars the lions stand upon contain the ashes of Laotians who have passed away.
Visitors to the LCC are required to remove their shoes. The clean-carpeted floors of the entryway lead to a stage displaying a vast number of Buddha statues—some simple and small, others grand, golden and larger than life. They rest among a number of other items, some relics from Laos and numerous stupas, which represent the enlightened mind of Buddha. Each contains five elements: a cone shape representing fire, a square base representing earth, a round dome representing water, a canopy representing air and the volume of the stupa symbolizing space. Outside of the Center is a small temple, which has its own collection of statues as well as incense, where visitors can pray to Buddha.
For Phommasith, these journeys—from Laos to the United States, from disconnection to reconnection to the traditions of his homeland—have become very important. “Mostly, we want to try to remember where we came from, to connect to with the people of our country,” he told Tribe. “We want Laotians to be able to visit their grandparents and cousins and still speak the same language.”
Like Phommasith, Silaphone Nhongvongsouthy is a product of the traditions taught at the LCC. She recently returned with her mother to Savannakhetm, the village in Laos where she was born, about an eight-hour drive from the capital. Although she had to acquaint herself with myriad customs, it was a place she recognized from her time in Smithfield. The visit helped her understand the struggle of her parents and others who entered the United States as refugees. It helped her see her roots and develop not only a sense of identity and appreciation, but also pride. Today, she finds joy in teaching others about the traditions of the Laotian people. “If I didn’t know about our culture, it wouldn’t be important to carry on that culture,” she said. “For me to contribute back to the community, it makes me feel better about things. And I believe in karma. Although I don’t see things coming back to me immediately, I’m pretty sure it will happen.”
Nhongvongsouthy will be running a workshop at the Smith Hill branch of the Providence Community Library as part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May. She will lead a class on making crafts out of rice paper. Nhongvongsouthy will also be a panelist on Thursday, March 15 from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the Warwick Museum of Art as part of their Celebrating RI Women in the Arts event. For more information, please visit rilaocenter.org.
