Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc.
Performing Group
Primary Discipline: Humanities - Cultural Heritage
Contact Info & Details
Bora Chiemruom - Executive Director 
Associations, Awards & Education
Awards
- Coming Up Taller Award, 1999 National award recognizing excellence in youth arts and cultural heritage, presented to Angkor Dance Troupe by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
- Governor’s Citation from Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll at the Massachusetts State House, recognizing Angkor Dance Troupe's artistic contributions to the Commonwealth - May 2025
- Governor’s Citation, May 2025. Official recognition from Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll honoring Angkor Dance Troupe’s 35 years of cultural preservation, artistic excellence, and community impact in Massachusetts.
- Featured Performer, Governor’s Awards in the Humanities, 2024. ADT was selected to perform at Mass Humanities’ annual Governor’s Awards ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Library, celebrating the role of cultural organizations in advancing the humanities.
- City of Lowell Mayor’s Citation, August 2023. Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau presented a Mayor’s Citation to Angkor Dance Troupe in recognition of our cultural contributions.
- Newell Flather Legacy Fund Award, 2023. Award recognizing ADT’s impact on youth development through cultural programs, presented by the Greater Lowell Community Foundation with support from the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation.
- City of Lowell Mayor’s Citation, March 2000. Lowell Mayor Brian J. Martin presented Angkor Dance Troupe was honored by the City of Lowell with a commendation for assisting over 200 Cambodian elders in gaining U.S. citizenship.
- Local Hero Award, 1997 Award presented to Angkor Dance Troupe founder Tim Thou by Community Teamwork Inc. for exceptional contributions to the Lowell community.
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The Angkor Dance Troupe (ADT) is a nationally recognized Cambodian-American performing arts organization based in Lowell, Massachusetts. Founded in 1986 by genocide survivors and Cambodian refugees, ADT preserves, revives, and celebrates Cambodia’s rich classical and folk dance traditions, many of which were nearly lost during the Khmer Rouge regime. Our mission is to connect communities through the preservation, education, and innovation of Cambodian performing arts.
For nearly four decades, ADT has trained thousands of young people in Cambodian classical and folk dance and music. Our programs serve students as young as six years old, with a focus on cultural transmission, discipline, intergenerational mentorship, and youth leadership. We offer year-round weekend classes, school-based residencies, youth employment opportunities, and public performances that uplift Cambodian identity while building bridges with broader audiences.
Our dancers perform throughout New England and beyond, representing the Cambodian American experience with authenticity and artistry. ADT is one of the most accomplished U.S.-based Cambodian arts organizations, with performances at the White House and featuring at prestigious venues like Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. We serve over 200 students annually across three skill levels in Lowell, MA, which is home to the second-largest Cambodian population in America.
In 2021, ADT was selected for the prestigious Powering Cultural Futures initiative by the Barr Foundation, supporting BIPOC-led arts organizations across Massachusetts. In May 2025, we received a Governor’s Citation from Governor Maura Healey, recognizing our artistic contributions and commitment to cultural preservation.
Our programming creates culturally affirming spaces where students develop technical skills in classical Apsara dance and folk traditions while building identity and connection to their heritage. All instructors are of Cambodian descent, with many being genocide survivors carrying irreplaceable embodied knowledge. This intergenerational model ensures authentic cultural transmission while fostering healing and community resilience.
Beyond traditional repertory, ADT produces innovative works that reflect the diaspora experience, including Rain and Life, and Proleung Khmer Dance. Featured in WBUR, WCVB, and the documentary Monkey Dance, ADT affirms that Cambodian performing arts are living traditions that inspire, heal, and empower communities across generations.