Burmese dance
[1] The origins of Burmese Dance are traced to the Pyu, Halin, and Mon cultures in the central and lower Irrawaddy regions from at least two centuries before the Christian era.
[4] Some of the surviving forms (including the belu, nat gadaw and zawgyi dances) honour folklore characters that are quintessentially Burmese, some of these from pre-Buddhist times.
After independence from Britain in 1948, there was a period of strong Burmese cultural nationalism that resulted in the establishment of the State School of Music in Mandalay in 1953.
A well-known dancer of the day, Oba Thaung, is credited with codifying the nearly completely undocumented Burmese dance repertory.
The bilus (demons or ogres) are ancient characters, thought to originate from a legendary race that roamed India and Burma circa 2000 BC.
There are many references in the Pali and Sanskrit literature to the mythical birds with human head and torso, Kinnara (male) and Kinnari (female).
In Burma, images of the Bird's dancing styles are found painted and carved on the walls at Bagan and (even earlier) from the Pyu kingdoms.
The songs and dances describe the Bird's happy re-union after a separation of 700 nights due to a heavy rainstorm and floods.
According to Burmese folklore (but probably based on quasi-historical facts), Me Wunna, a beautiful princess was a sister of the king of Thaton in lower Burma.
Estranged from her brother, she refused betrothal to a royal descendant and lived in exile and alone in the forests of Mount Popa.
In Burma, it is traditional to make an offering of a green coconut, three hands of bananas, and a few other accessories, to the Guardian Spirit of Land (a nat) prior to an important event such as an inauguration.
In 1767, King Hsinbyushin of the Konbaung dynasty brought back Siamese captives to the Inwa (Ava), the kingdom's capital.
In a typical segment, Rama is enticed away by the Golden Deer, who is a transmogrified form of the demon sister of Dathagiri (Ravana).
One is that, being an adept horseman and son of a trusted royal guardian; he was knighted and given the Countship of the country town of Pakhan in central Burma.
In a typical performance, the Medium appeals to U Min Gyaw by presenting him with a bottle of liquor in one hand and a fried fowl in the other.
The dance has appeared out of the custom of entertaining the crowd, especially volunteers taking part in Flag Days or at community charitable activities.
The names U Shwe Yoe and Daw Moe are fictitious (not part of any classic text) and chosen for their rhyming effect.
The costumes are bizarre and flamboyant, with the indispensable elements of U Shwe Yoe's (independently animated) moustache and a twirling Pathein parasol.
In a jocular manner, he emotes his love and makes a pass at Daw Moe, while she responds evasively and artfully.
All-night performances, which combine melodrama, slapstick, traditional dance, and even pop music are called "zat pwe" in Burma.
These seasonal events are staged in enclosed temporary bamboo theatres and are typically part of annual fund raising activities at pagoda festivals.
Sometimes, with a touch of his magic wand he brings to life "illusory females" from trees bearing female-shaped fruits in order fulfill his carnal wishes.
The dance illustrates Zawgyi going about the forest, prancing with his wand, pulverising herbs and gamboling in jubilation after acquiring the Stone.
