What are the characteristics of Burmese dance?

I. Dance Art Characteristics and Styles

(I) Traditional Dance

Traditional Burmese dance is derived from the classical drama, the Lama drama, and the Aying drama. The Classical Dance Drama expresses the story of the Sutra of the Buddha in his previous life and has the unique color of the square-shaped dance form of Lower Burma. The "Rama" drama is dedicated to the Indian epic "Ramayana" and is influenced by many ancient Siamese dances. Its dance steps are slow and slender, and it is a beautiful and charming dance.

Myanmar traditional dance has a very strict and traditional form and content, the traditional dance movement is soft, elegant, delicate and exquisite. Myanmar is a Buddhist country, and Buddhism worships the lotus flower, which means holiness, so the movement of the fingers imitates the shape of the lotus flower, and the opening and closing of the fingers imitates the opening of the lotus flower in full bloom. When training for this dance, the basic stance is: heels opposite each other, toes about half a foot wide, chest out, waist down, hips up, palms bent behind the waist, elbows parallel, eyes straight ahead. Traditional dance has a very strict training system with more than 40 basic movements and steps, from simple to complex, from easy to difficult. During the dance performance, the direction of the eyes and head and the coordination of the body are emphasized, while the waist is required to be flexible, the legs and feet should be kept at a fixed distance, and the hands, head, legs and feet should be balanced and coordinated with each other.

Court dances are influenced by the ancient Burmese classical theater, puppet shows, and traditional dances such as the Aying Dance, and have been passed down and created by generations of Burmese dancers. Most of the court dances are based on Burmese folk dances, which are adapted and created after entering the court, and are characterized by precise modeling, elegant and dignified. Because of the special requirements for the flexibility and sense of rhythm of the dancers, the dances emphasize the coordination of hands, eyes, body and steps, and at the same time, there is a near-perfect structure for grasping the sense of rhythm and movement.

Burmese dances are mostly Buddhist, so the characteristics of Burmese dances are similar to those of Indian dances and Thai dances, with the three most important features being strict restrictions on finger movements, acrobatic movements, and powerful foot movements. Most of the movements of Myanmar's traditional dances are derived from ancient puppet theater, so some of the movements have an amusing and witty feel, but there are also movements that express the softness and gentleness of women.