The Thokemein Learning Centre, located in Takuapa District, Phang Nga Province, Southern Thailand, was all quiet and silent due to the Thitinkyut School Holiday. There was not the usual, noisy sound of learning and playing heard on any other normal school day.

That was until sounds began to flood out from one of the classrooms.

“It was the sound of music, quietly at the beginning, then stopping. Suddenly happy, rousing music could be heard. It got faster and faster, like rolling waves. Finally I recognized the music; it was the music of "U Shwe Yoe and Daw Moe"

"Wahhhhhh" The laughing voices of the children woke up the school compound and brought it to life.

Chapter-II

Burmese traditional dance training was conducted at FED's Thokemein Learning Center, Takuapa District, Phang Nga Province, Southern Thailand during the October Thitinnkyut school holidays, by the Art Venture Program, with support of the Singapore based Art Action group. The subjects of Art and Music are taught in the FED run learning centers. Acting performances will also be taught in the future.

During the dance training, the students were divided into two groups, and then further divided into classes for older and younger age groups.

The trainers were from Thee Lay Thee Troupe, Full Color performance group member comedian Ko Zee Thee, and dancer, Mya Sabae Ngone., "Thayarlapa" which is a beautiful and pleasant young boys' common dance, was taught. Two sets of couples (made up of young children) danced the "U Shwe Yoe and Daw Moe" dance that had been taught. However it was quite a short training period that lasted only 13 days.

"When you teach a traditional dance, it should start from "Kabyarlyut" dance, but we didn’t have much time and wanted them to be able to dance. I just skipped some steps and started in the middle of "Mintha yeine", one of the actors' dances I taught. I want to teach whatever I know about Burmese traditional dance to children. Some show their interest but with performance art it’s hard to say. Even though some were really interested, it cannot guarantee that they are going to achieve. Amongst my pupils; two really followed what I taught" said trainer Ko Zee Thee.

Aung Myint Kyaw, a 7 year old child from Pakarang Learning Center who joined the training said; "I am interested in actor dances. I have never learned it before and this is first time for me. Among those performance actors, I like "Chityazar". I want to be famous performance dancer.”

Mya Sabae Ngone, the dance actor said; “We have taught the ‘Royal virgin maids group dance’, ‘Prince and Princess’ couples dance’  and  ‘Thingyan Yaein’, the water festival women’s group dance. We cannot give grades such as we do in other performance schools, but we can give grades from an observational level"

She also added; "This is the first training for us when we are abroad. When I heard that there was to be Burmese traditional performance dance training, I thought about teaching marionette art, but if I do so, I would need more time and I would also need marionettes.  So I didn’t this time, but I will. There is low and high performance art, and marionette art is high performance. Here in our training, there were young ladies who showed serious interest and they have some talent, and they want to learn and practice a lot as a hobby".

"There were about 26 girls; and we found some smart trainees amongst them, there were three in the older group, and five to six in the younger group. If they had enough time, they could become professionals" said Mya Sabae Ngone.

Ma Ei Ei Htwe; one of the trainees from Youth Outreach said; "I used to teach in my village in the past. My mom taught me the timing of dancing. Dancing is my hobby. I will try to do much more performance acting, and now I’ve won second place at the dancing practice taught by our teacher.”

Chapter-III

During the Thithinkyut School Holidays, short term performance art training was successfully completed. This was the first Burmese performance art training hosted outside of Burma.

The objective of hosting this training is evident in the closing remarks of Mr. Htoo Chit, the executive director of FED/GHRE; (The FED organized this training.)

"I was very worried about the children losing our culture. Burmese cultural arts encompass ideals that teach dignity, morality and social conventions, and have done so for thousands of years. But the consistently, poorly ruled government does not allow our traditions and culture to be recognized internationally because of the situation of our Nation. We could lose all opportunities. This may be the first training, but not the last. We want to practice hard to be professional performance artists and to encourage its practice from here on" He said.

The following is an article by author Chit Oo Nyo.

In November, 1998, artists from Japan, Korea, India, Manipur, Malaysia, Thai and Burma were invited to Singapore by the Flying Circus Project (FCP). This was organized to teach Singaporeans different arts by invited artists. The FCP objective was clear: to create a Singaporean art and culture, as Singapore never does not have any historical arts or cultural background.

From Burma, the following artists represented different types of arts;

Artist Chit Oo Nyo, marionette artists Nan Nyunt Shein, Mrs. Ma Ma Naing and Mr. Tin Saung, Drama performance artist Mr. Than Aung (Performance art school/Mandalay), Yukyeesin Professional dance artist Mr. Zaw Min (Cultural Dept/Rangoon)

All attended and gave training for one month.

In Brief:

The opening ceremony of the FCP art training was attended by Singaporean trainees and trainers from different countries. The FCP Director, Mr. Ong Kin Sing, gave this opening remark;

"As you may all know, Singapore doesn't have national tradition, art or culture,” and he pointed to Mr Chit Oo Nyo, and continued;

We don't have thousand years old culture and civilization like Mr. Chit’s country, Burma. Singapore only has physical riches, a modernized but very poor culture. Therefore, we learn from your culture; but not only learn, we will eat you. We will eat the heart of your cultural capability. We will eat that essence and allow it to flow into our hearts and veins. We eat from you and so you also can eat from us.”

I recall "Eat You", one of the articles of Chit Oo Nyo, especially the word of Mr. Ong Kin Sing;

"We will eat you".

Written by Minn Swe Thit