Dream of Dancer

Hello Everyone! My name is Kyaw Thike. I’m 22 years old and fourth year
university student, studying the Dramatic Art major at the National University of
Art and Culture. I am trying to get B.A Dramatic Art Degree. My university offers
Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree in five categories: Music, Dramatic Arts, Painting,
Sculpture and Cinematography & Drama.

Culture is the face of a country. Young people should participate more in the
culture sector. Today, there are a few young people who are really interested in
Myanmar traditional culture. So, respective sectors such as media, the relevant
departments and teaching role need to encourage the young people to be more
interest in the traditional culture. If we see our own culture in various forms, I
think that we will be interested in our culture. At present, the modern culture is
very popular and close with the youths. The young people are far from Myanmar
culture. Therefore, we’d like to say that the youths should know about Myanmar
culture since young and how to preserve it for the long-term from our ancestors.

I attended this university because of my hobby on dancing (traditional

dance) and I thought that I can learn easily the dancing without difficulties. I
thought that Myanmar traditional dance will be simple. But, after learning the
traditional dance for a week, I want to leave from the university. I learned the basic
step that is called sitting “gwin” for 15 mins to perform perfectly the traditional
dance. At the beginning, I can’t sit “gwin” for 1 min. It is very difficult for me. I
could not dance it in perfect yet and I am still in the basic step “gwin”. I tried hard
to sit “gwin” for 1 min. My knees and hands were shaking. I can’t finally resist, I
gnash the teeth. Gradually, I can sit for 1 min, and then for 3 mins, 5 mins like that.
At that time, our teacher said that all of you should try to pass these difficulties.
Only then, can you dance perfectly and create the beautiful dancing.

There is a saying in the art that is (head, waist, leg and hand can be handled).
We learned by using our head, waist, leg and hand. At that time, we had some
memory of funny with our friends that we crawled on the stair of 3-storeyed
building. After learning the dance, we were very tired. We learned Myanmar
traditional dance by this way. Myanmar traditional dance is my passion. I crawled
on the stairs about on all fours. Our friends massage and apply balm each other at
the hostel. We used kneecap. We learned the Myanmar traditional dance by this
way. Some of my friends came to learn the one of Myanmar cultures at the
university and they think it will be easy for them. But, some of them think and then
they can’t learn and then they left from the university. I think that Myanmar culture
can’t be learned with only the hobby. We can learn Myanmar traditional dance
only when we appreciate truly and cherish it.

My hometown is Sagaing. My relatives live in San Chaung Township in

Yangon and their home is far from the university. So, I stay at my teacher’s house
where is in the University compound. She is like my mother.

I was studying at this university that is far from my parents. I very miss my
parents. When we rehearsed the story about parents at the university, I very miss
my parents. And I thanks a million to my parents to allow me to attend this
university. My parent supported me everything to study my lessons without worry.
Sometimes, I miss my parents so much and I want to go back their home. But, I
can’t go back home and I still studying my lessons well because I wish to become
a worthy son with my parent’s supporting. Whereby, I continue to study at the
university.

I opposed with my parent to do my desire. What is it? When I was Grade-11

student, I said my mom I would attend the National University of Art and Culture
after passing the matriculation exam. At that time, my mom didn’t encourage me to
do my hobby and she said that you would not attend that university. My mom said
our relatives about my hobby. All of my parents and relatives opposed me and they
said that “what will you do in the future after graduating? You will do a traditional
drama performer”. At that time, I think what should I do? I decided that I would
have no answer to pass the matriculation exam if I had not a chance to do my
hobby. I drew the cross line on my last subject answer paper. Since I was young, I
heard that some of people did the cross line on their answer paper because of
various reasons. I did like because only one of my feeling……I couldn’t go to my
favorite university. I understand myself I will fail the exam. After releasing the
exam result, my mom scolded me and asked “what happene are you?” I responded
I drew the cross line on my last subject answer paper because you all did not allow
to me to attend my favorite university. If you will agree me to attend this
university, I will promise to pass the exam. I opposed like this way to all of my
community to get the permission on attending this university. Finally, my mom
said that if you will pass the matriculation exam and they will allow me to attend
my favorite university. I requested the promise from my mom to attend this
university. We took understanding each other and then I sat the matriculation exam
to pass.

Myanmar dramatic art is very deep and soft and has been famous from time
to time. As our ancestors have handed over this heritage from generation to
generation, our dramatic art has been well-known till now. On the hand, Myanmar
art lovers are gradually less. The young generations who learn the Myanmar
dramatic art like me become fewer and fewer in the future. We have many
challenges in the new generations.

In the past, it was said that “Traditional dancers eating with leaf bowls”. The
traditional dancers are not low standard class. In reality, the traditional dancers
entertained the performances to the King. If the King likes their performances, they
were served the foods with leaf bowls. In this way, there became a saying
“Traditional dancer eat with leaf sheet”.

Our Myanmar dramatic art is seemed easy but actually, it is very difficult. A
traditional dancer tries to dance on the stage to give the best emotion to the
audiences. We have to study various art forms and fulfill our art to become an
excellent traditional dancer applauded by the audiences.

Why did I study this traditional dramatic art? Because I am a Myanmar

national and I cherish and want to preserve the Myanmar culture. Since I was a
child, I liked the dancing. So, I have a wish to learn the dancing systematically
when grow up. And, I really want to know the essence of Myanmar culture. One of
my ambitions is…. I want to create the Myanmar traditional dance. I want to create
and try it. Therefore, I chose to attend this National University of Art and Culture.

As soon as I studied Myanmar dramatic art subject, I felt the impact of the
environment. Because, about 9 in 10 people in our country say and fight to our
Myanmar traditional drama with the criticism like that they ask me “What major
do you study at the NUAC?” and I replied them I studied the dramatic art. They
asked again me that what you would do after getting the graduating with this major
and they said with irony that you would do a Myanmar drama actor.
 But no matter what happens, I will continue to learn with trying hard this
dramatic art that I love. I will continue to try to become a good artist that is one of
my dreams.

I am weak in vocal class at the university. In our university, we learn the

classical music and singing, crying and telling of the big story. I am very afraid of
attending the vocal class because I am weak in it. Other students easily understand
the course lectured by teacher. For me, it is very difficult to understand. Gradually,
I understand that I’m weak in vocal class and afraid it. So, I absent this class later.
My teacher said that I couldn’t absorb this subject. Teacher gives me the advice
how to practice in vocals. She taught that if you were weak in vocals, you should
not afraid of singing. You should sing the songs when you take shower in the
bathroom and even you are in the toilet.

According to the advice of my teacher, I sing loudly the songs at my home

and in the bathroom. I sing loudly the songs taught by the university whether I can
sing or not as well as I can reach the key note or not.

By this way, I gradually know how to sing. I understand about the vocal
course. I was easy to sing the songs through the suggestion of my teacher. I was
convenient in singing, crying and telling of the theatrical drama. Later, I can learn
and sing easily Myanmar classical songs.

When I was the 1st year student, I studied the Myanmar traditional dance,
Myanmar music legend, Myanmar classical music and singing, crying, telling of
theatrical drama at the dramatic art department. Moreover, I have known that
Myanmar puppet what I love that is nearly to be extinct.

In Myanmar dramatic art, puppet drama is very popular and it has existed
since ancient times. Otherwise, it is called great drama or puppetry (marionette). I
became gradually interested in Myanmar puppet art. I hardly learned about it. I felt
this impression after I passed the first year.

Actually, the marionette or puppet art is very hard and deep. So, you will not
easy to learn about it. The puppets have their respective weight. In the various
puppets, the pageboy puppet is the lightest puppet. Even the weight of lightest
puppet is 1 viss. We use only our left hand to lift this weight and keep going until
the end of the music. Why not we use right hand? This right hand makes the
puppet to dance in harmony. Our right hand handles the string dancing the puppet.
Therefore, we only use the left hand to lift the puppet. Sometimes, I feel hurt my
arm.

There are a lot of marionettes or puppets heavier than it. For example I’d
like to share the weight of another puppet that is the horse marionette. Its weight is
about 2.5-viss or 3-viss. When we show dancing of horse puppet, we use our left
and right hands.

We draw string with both hands with strength to perform like that the horse
jumping and flying to have the cloud. Thus, I would like to say that the puppet art
is not easy to learn by looking the teacher’s teaching or watching the online videos.
During my study times at this university, as the final students, we need to do
creations by applying all lessons studying in 4 years.

We show our own talents. The final students always show one story per year
by using their own ideas and talents at the university. We thought about what we
should do in our turn. Our friends discuss what we will do and what we will create.
We discussed that we should dance the Myanmar traditional dance or the shadow
dance that is now popular and we should perform it with people or puppet? We
supposed several contents. Finally, I got the idea to mix the Myanmar traditional
dance and western music. Likely, we proved that we could perform the western
dance by using some Myanmar traditional dancing styles. With cooperation of our
friends, we started to create the show.

We stated the show with the love scenes at the beginning like that the boy
and girl fell in love and the next scene was… they were separated. Next, our 5
friends came out from the different 5 corners. We created this scene to describe
that all of us coming from the different parts of the country met together in a place
(we, all from the different regions met at the university). When we meet like this,
we all have our own dreams and our goals. We tried to reach our goals respectively
and finally, we created together to dance on the stage with unity. During this time,
we turn off the light. Moreover, we show the puppet dance in order to prove that
we can entertain the puppet dance with the western music.
 We could prove that we are the students not only who can preserve our
culture but also who can perform the robot dance that is popular in western
countries. We showed that the robot dance is similar to the Myanmar puppet dance.
Myanmar traditional dance and the western dance are related. In music, there are
linkages. The western dancer and Myanmar dancer can link each other and we can
dream together. We can create and show many contents above these mentioned in
the story.

During the NUAC student life, I know the technique of Myanmar culture art
and moreover, I built up the knowledge about it. And I also know about the high
standard of our Myanmar people and the essence of our Myanmar dance. Even as I
preserve the Myanmar art, culture and the most well-known arts, I wish to alive the
Myanmar culture as long as the world exists.

Together, let we preserve together

Create and keep going on

Dreams with the belief

Moving forward by stretching out the wings

Together, let we preserve together

Create and keep going on

Dreams with the belief

Moving forward by stretching out the wings

NUAC

NUAC

NUAC