The Shweman New York Dance Troupe and other local Burmese dancers performed at a fundraiser at the Carpenter Center, to help the victims of Burma in the wake of the Cyclone Nargis.
The show began with a slide show of monuments in Burma, such as temples and big statues of Buddha. The slide show then displayed pictures of the Burmese people after the cyclone hit their homes, followed by the Burmese dancers’ performance.
The dancers performed a variety of folk and ethnic dances. The most amazing dances, however, were the selected dances from “Yamayana,” an entire dance performance about PrinceYama, who saves Princess Dima from an ogre. The dancers moved gracefully through this Burmese ballet in their colorful, dazzling robes and big hats.
Shwe Man U Win Maung, the leader of the Shweman New York Dance Troupe, was grateful to dance and sing for the fundraiser. Before intermission, he gave thanks to the people attending the fundraiser.
“We only had about two weeks to rehearse, but we are very grateful to be here, and we really appreciate your support for Burma,” Win Maung said.
The proceeds of the fundraiser will go to Giving Children Hope, which will ship the medical supplies and equipment to Burma.
According to Jenise Steverding, the director of advancement for Giving Children Hope, the Burmese community contacted them to hold the fundraiser. May, a Cal State Fullerton student, came from Burma.
“She got involved in one of our local programs in the student government there,” Tritt said. “It’s called ‘We’ve got your back.’ When the disaster happened, she saw in the paper that we were willing to help with Burma. She called me and said, ‘I really want to connect you with some folks who are willing to help with Burma.’ They came up with what they wanted to do for the fundraiser.”
One of the organizers of the show, Dolly Co Lay, knew members of the Shweman Thabin New York Dance Troupe, so she invited them to perform various dances at the fundraiser.
“Since [the troupe and I] knew each other, we knew what we were expecting [from the dancers],” Co Lay said.
According to a pamphlet at the organization’s booth in the lobby, is equipped to emergencies immediately with food, medicine, clothing and transportation. Since the organization is small, it is able to provide aid without the bureaucracy so cumbersome to larger organizations.
“We send medical supplies and medical equipment. When people are suffering…we are there to cover it,” Andreyev said.
Andreyev also said that their company sends basic medical supplies, water purification tablets, blankets, tents and pharmaceuticals to countries impacted by disasters.
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