Over 1,000 Cambodians dance for world record

Phnom Penh, April 29 (IANS) Over a thousand young Cambodians performed "the Madison", a popular dance carried out during weddings and the Cambodian New Year, in a bid to create a world record, said an organiser.

The kingdom's largest Madison dance, performed Saturday noon at a public park in the country's capital city of Phnom Penh, lasted about five minutes, Xinhua reported.

Colin Spurway, project director of BBC Media Action, which organised the event, said the Guinness World Records recognised the largest Madison dance with 459 participants in Feucherolles, France, June 18, 2011.

"Now, we try to break that record," he said. "We will send documents and video footage about the dance to the World Record body for consideration."

According to the BBC Media Action's press release, the Madison, a dance that Cambodians have made their own for over 40 years, is particularly popular over Khmer weddings and Khmer New Year celebrations. It originated in the US and France in the 1960s.