The apsara dance is one of the two major forms of dancing. This classical dance has its roots in animism and primitive magic, with Hindu forms that were introduced beginning in the 1st Century. During the reigns of King Jayavarman II to VII, this classical dance took on its own unique form, adding movements with meaning. Apsara dancers are carved on the walls of many Angkor temples in Cambodia.

Cultural dances and Khmer arts would attract others. If activities such as Khmer dance, music, and art are offered, non-KEEP students might be more interested to join KEEP. In the past, when we had a larger number of students, dance classes, music, and art were included in KEEP. Today, the majority of KEEP students are in elementary and junior high school. Activities like these would encourage more high school students to join KEEP.

Khmer spelling, poem-writing, and drawing contests are a few things we have done in the past and we want to start them up again. These events would also capture the interest of young adults in high school and college to join KEEP.
We look forward to our December end-of-the-year event. Awards are given out, fashion shows, singing, dancing, and skits are performed; and, of course, food is served. This is an event when people who are not in KEEP are invited to attend to see what we do, and hopefully they will consider joining us.

Networking with other cultural communities such as Laotian, Vietnamese, Hmong, and Mexican could lead to the development of a multicultural fair. Students from various cultures could go to the fair and become more aware of their own and other cultures. This could interest them in programs such as KEEP and encourage them to participate. With this type of networking, we could improve KEEP and benefit other ethnic communities.