0 Time, date & place.

The event will be on:
Sunday, November 16, 2008 from 3 - 7 pm
at the Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA.

1 Proceeds.

Your donations and generousity will fund:

  • Sitagu Sayadaw (80%) - A Burmese monk-led organization that quickly dispatched aid and relief to affected regions in Burma (link)
  • World Vision (20%) - One of the first intl. NGOs to provide relief work in Myanmar cyclone-hit areas (link)

2 Networks.

BSA-UCLA on Myspace    Join the event on Facebook

The utter devastation.
Poster
Go to the main BSA website

the entertainment.

NataliseMadi from Iron CrossWavelanth bandZennHsimee Khwet danceRakhine dance

Key Performers:

  • Natalise: American singer-songwriter of Burmese-Chinese descent, as featured on MTV, ABC, CBS, the CW and UPN
  • Madi with L.A.-based band Wavelanth and guest performer Zenn

Master of Ceremony:

  • Sandi Aries

Burmese cultural dances:

  • Rakhine 'Shin Daing' Dance: This dance comes from the Rakhine, who form one of the seven main ethnic groups in Myanmar, are known for their unique dances. 'Shin Daing' is a lullaby dance to teach infants to dance by using their fingers. In the Rakhine culture, parents teach their children to dance while in their cradles. This dance also teaches babies to learn to open and close and clap their hands through a lullaby called 'shwe lat khoke' (golden claps) The song symbolizes a child's growth from infancy to adolescence.
  • 'U Shwe Yoe and Daw Moe' Dance: This perennial folk dance is a joyful and comedic duet displaying the comical courtship of U Shwe Yoe, a clumsy joker and Daw Moe, a spinster. The U Shwe Yoe dance was first featured in the 1923 movie 'Ah Ba Yae' (Father), a pioneer Burmese film about rural life. The dance is now performed in all Burmese festive occasions. U Shwe Yoe is a funnyman with thick eyebrows, a curly mustache, a traditional Burmese headdress and jacket, and a small Pathein umbrella. The duo dances, flirts and sings to each other, to the rhytmic sounds of the 'doebat' troupes, comprised of short drums, cymbals and bamboo clappers. (description by writer Chit Oo Nyo, and translated by Lotus Kyi Loo and Ei Yupar Win)
  • Candlelight (Simi Gwet) Dance: This dance is inspired by Buddhist tradition of offering oil lamps to Buddhist shrines in homes and temples. It is performed with a lighted candle held in each hand. This is traditionally performed as an opening act as it calls for the blessing of divinities that protect the eight cardinal points of the earth and it asks them to come and pass through the candlelight as homage to the Buddha.
  • Burmese Marionette Puppet Dance: According to Burmese culture, in ancient times, it was not appropriate for a male and a female to dance together in front of people. Thus, artists substituted puppets instead of people. Later, when there was no longer a cultural need to segregate the genders, entire plots came to life more easily in an art form called 'a myint thabin.' A type of this art form, called 'Yote Thay' (puppet) was very popular among royal family. In 1965, U Shwe Daung Nyo created “Dance in Marionette Style” in which real people dance like puppets. In this dance, both puppets and their masters dance choreograph their dances to imitate puppetry. The masters pretend to manipulate the dancers as puppets, a difficult task to complete beautifully between the dancers and the masters.
  • Burmese 'Ku-hnit Htway' Dance: The dance includes Ozi (one-faced drum dance), Doe-pat (two-faced drum dance), Myauk (monkey dance), Zawgyi (alchemist dance), Belu (ogre dance)**, Wun (royal-court minister dance) and Si-taw (royal drum dance). There are seven different melodies for these seven different dances as well as the melody use as the transition followed by each dances. The dancer will perform tradition male dance for each transition melody. Traditionally, a skilled dancer performs all seven dances one after another by him or herself. It is usually performed by dancers who are in great command of traditional dances. Kunit Htway dance is performed in zat pwe, all-night performances which combine melodrama, slapstick, traditional dance, and modern music. For our presentation, five dancers will be performing these various dances.
    *Zawgyi is a Burmese folk character adept in the art of alchemy and gained his supernatural skills through occult means. He inhabits thick forests near the Himalaya where he forages herbs for magical purposes. After searching for many years he obtained the Philosopher’s stone and thereby gained Zawgyi-hood. 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 Belus are ancient characters, thought to originate from a legendary race that roamed India and Burma circa 2000 BC. Buddhist literature describes them as primitive and feared by other races. In literature, the Belus are described as having transmogrifying powers--an ability to take on different physical appearances. There are 24 different classical demon forms, each with its own name and role in stories and plays. One of the best known is Dasa-Giri, a demon in the Indian epic 'Ramayana'.
  • Karen Ethnic 'Done Yein' Dance: Karen “Done” dance was developed about a little bit over 30 years ago. Karen “Done” dance is usually performed for Karen State Festival, Karen New Year Festival, and Karen Cultural and Educational Festival. Karen people usually dance “Done” to show their gratitude and blessing. The meaning of this dance also paints a picture of joy, and harmony.

Other Cultural Dances:

  • Indian Bhangra: Bhangra is a lively form of folk music and dance that originates from Punjab. People traditionally performed Bhangra when celebrating the harvest. During Bhangra, people sing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, at least one person plays the the dhol drum, and other people may play the flute, dholak drum, or other musical instruments. While Bhangra began as a part of harvest festival celebrations, it eventually became a part of such diverse occasions as weddings, New Year celebrations and parties. Now. Bhangra is truly becoming more popular worldwide and people of non-Punjabi background are listening to and performing Bhangra.
  • Chinese Lion Dance
  • Thai Peacock Dance: Fauwn Chaiya Mayura (Peacock Dance): The dance of Tai Kiun (Shan) migration in Northern Thailand. Dancer(s) perform a beautiful, elegant peacock movements with a peacock feathers. The dance also represents a journey to the Himalayan Forest, from which a peacock is symbolically a mysterious creature.
  • Thai King Kala Bird Dance: King Kala Arayah: The King Kala is the name of the half-bird, half-human deity from Himalayan forest. The dancer wears wings made from bamboo and cotton cloth, painted and decorated in the Tai Yai style. The King Kala dance can regularly be found in yearly ceremonies and celebrations in the Lanna region.

Note: The above other cultural dances are subject to change.