THE MYANMAR PROJECT: HPAN MYAY HMAN MYAY

18-30 April 2014:  Land of Glass, Land of Mirrors International Performance Exhibition Tour to Yangon, Myanmar

Reflections from collective participants and collaborators on tour:

Amanda: It is a privilege to be invited into two new worlds; that of dance and a community in Myanmar. I enjoyed and learnt so many new things from both in such a short time. I loved watching the process of connecting through movement and music; I loved the strength in the staff who dedicate their lives to the needs of others. I loved seeing creativity with a different purpose. I relish the motivation to follow in this direction some more. I was originally and always will be inspired by the dancers and Luci's ephemeral ideas. This happened to be expressed in Myanmar, but it comes through all of the Remnant Dance pieces I have watched. By chance, the slightest change in perspective, that small shift that completely changes a direction… the stillness and shifting of scales, the gentleness and quiet beauty of a people. My inspiration more specifically about Myanmar is slowly developing from this first introduction, it will take time, and a lot more listening, and being there to comment on this. I am inspired by the staff at AYDC.

Andrew: It has been wonderful to have the talents of the collective Remnant Dance, Red Art Shed and the Flame Collective to provide experiences for our kids that are well beyond what a charity can normally provide. Unlike assessing school grades or bricks and mortar or sanitation systems, there is no easy way to measure the many benefits that have flowed through to our kids. Measuring their smiles is perhaps one way. There have been many of those! The real fruit of an unorthodox partnership like the one between Remnant Dance and MyKids may never be quantified. But it is absolutely clear to me that the children have experienced genuine love, been given genuine opportunities to express themselves, and have experienced things that parents across Australia would dearly seek for their own children.

Caroline: I enjoyed the friendliness of the Burmese people, the 'open arms and hearts' of the children at AYDC, the flavoursome food and the camaraderie of friends and the collective. The humility and contentment of everyone we came across; to whom we went to 'show and teach' but from whom we learnt and gained so much more than we gave, were inspiring.

Charity: I loved being involved in this project and that Hpan Myay Mman Myay is a sharing of stories/conversation. I love that it's a result of previous trips/conversations (eg: working closely with the children on our last trip; being responsive to create something beautiful and authentic) and that the children were the first ones to view/experience it. I enjoyed dancing with and for the children.  I am inspired how beautiful and genuine the Burmese people are. I experienced first-hand that dance is more than just dance. It IS a language just like English or Burmese as we can communicate using our bodies even though we don't speak the same "tongue" or some who don't have the understanding of the expression of dance.  As for my creative practice: there are new ways to create work and involve other areas such as social justice where we can input a fresh perspective of creative aspects in lives.

Esther: I enjoyed witnessing the individual creativity of the children and how their responses were unique and beautiful!  The children inspired me to infuse more of my individual creativity into my dance... and to reveal more of myself.

Ellen: To spend time with people from a different place, who use different words and movements, who wear different clothes and eat different food, is exciting, difficult, and extraordinary. It was a gift to meet people in Yangon who became friends, and I loved sharing our dancing stories. I will always remember smiling eyes and beaming faces, as we were welcomed to their country. 

Katie: I relished connecting with people; finding new ways to listen, speak and move as a means to meet people and understand people... Immersing myself in the Yangon, Myanmar life as much as I possibly could; allowing myself to be changed by the experience.  The small, un-inflated comments people made to express their appreciation and belief in the value of our work as a collective was inspiring… The willingness of participants and community members to momentarily release themselves from the norms of their daily experience in order to embrace the project.

Lucinda: I expected to wrap up a project, but found myself in the middle of a story.  Wide-eyed children crawled into my heart and lodged themselves there: shiny, precious and shimmering. Our communication was one of spirit, and so we remain connected. I really expected to be finished by now, but am finding something new is just beginning. 

Nancy: The Remnant tour was excellent. It was quite different to other groups from Australia and elsewhere with an exclusive focus on the creative arts. This gave the children opportunities they would never get. I can't remember ever really knowing what my favourite things were. But the kids at AYDC now know what theirs is - drawing or dancing or singing. Staff and kids also had the great opportunity to go to an art gallery and a film premiere with live dancing. These were wonderful new experiences for staff, kids and many other people associated with the centre.

Stephanie: I really enjoyed being part of the Hpan Myay Mman Myay project. It was wonderful being able to interact with the kids and just watching the joy on their faces when dancing with them. Even though there was a language barrier, dancing broke that barrier and suddenly everyone became family. 

Photography by Amanda Humphries, 2014

Final reflective comments: Andrew Rogers, Founder & Director of MyKids Australia Inc –

The final night of the Remnant Dance tour was surreal and sublime. Eight of our children from very impoverished backgrounds were attending an art gallery exhibition in the highly regarded River Gallery II in Yangon with pieces of their own work on display. One of our past students was performing a dance piece surrounded by professionals and people of means from all walks of life including the Australian ambassador and international businessmen. And all this was taking place in a gallery with beautiful art produced by Amanda Humphries who had worked hard to bring her Myanmar experiences with the children to life through art works.

I am not sure how many Burmese children, especially ones with sad histories like ours, have ever attended such an event, let alone had their own work displayed! That was surreal.  And the composition of the event which incorporated beautiful artwork, dance and film by Lucinda Coleman set in a wonderful location really was sublime.  However, this should not have come as a surprise.

I have always been impressed with the beauty and professionalism of the Remnant Dance events that Lucinda has organised on behalf of MyKids. This most recent tour was a fitting finale to the previous years of work.

MyKids, the charity which I started, is committed to improving the lives of Burmese children in every way we can. Our primary focus is in practical areas like education and nutrition. However we appreciate the importance of nurturing the whole child. This includes their emotional and creative sides, areas that are often neglected in Burmese society and by charities like ours.

So it has been wonderful to have the talents of the collective Remnant Dance, Red Art Shed and the Flame Collective to provide experiences for our kids that are well beyond what a charity can normally provide. The kids loved doing the creative workshops conducted in March. Then some of those kids had the incredible privilege of participating in the production of a dance film which let them tell their own stories through dance. Then a month later all of our kids attended the film's premiere in the delightful grounds of Sein Lann So Pyay which they enjoyed immensely.

Unlike assessing school grades or bricks and mortar or sanitation systems, there is no easy way to measure the many benefits that have flowed through to our kids. Measuring their smiles is perhaps one way. There have been many of those! The real fruit of an unorthodox partnership like the one between Remnant Dance and MyKids may never be quantified. But it is absolutely clear to me that the children have experienced genuine love, been given genuine opportunities to express themselves, and have experienced things that parents across Australia would dearly seek for their own children.