Colourfully costumed dancers perform around 10 dances from a larger repertoire. Some give human form to traditional stories of local folklore, while others are examples of typical Burmese slapstick – perhaps a comedic drunkard or the jokily incompetent, moustachioed U Shwe Yoe tumbling off the stage as he fails to impress his beau.
The Mintha Theater doubles as the public venue of the Inwa School of Performing Arts, a high school for youth who aspire to be professional stage artists. Proceeds from the theatre benefit the school and preservation of Myanmar performing arts, which receive little funding from state sources. To learn more about and support these efforts, check out www.artsmandalay.org.
