Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, a recent graduate of the State School of Fine Arts, poses with his sculpture titled “Eaindrae” last week. Pic: Aung Tun Win

MA Aye Aye Thet knows as well as any of the recent graduates from the State School of Fine Arts and the State School of Music and Drama about suffering for art.

Since the age of six, when she first danced and sang at the traditional zat (theatre) at her Kayin village’s pagoda festival, she wanted to study performing arts.

She knew this could not happen in Kayin State and dreamed of studying at the State School of Music and Drama but her plans hit a snag – her parents refused to let her move away to study performance.

“My parent would not allow me to enter the performing arts course at first because they only wanted me to get a formal education. They just wanted me to study hard and get a degree,” she said.

When both arts schools added standard academic studies to the practical coursework for the 2007-2008 academic year, Ma Aye Aye Thet finally managed to persuade her parents to let her study at the State School of Music and Drama.

“It was very hard for me to try and go against my parents’ wishes and study drama at school; they didn’t want to support me. Only when they heard about the standard of education at the State School of Music and Drama did they allow me to go,” said the now 18-year-old.

“So I am very pleased the school provided me with a formal education and hopefully I can join the University of Culture when the matriculation results are released,” she said. “I can’t survive without singing because it is my passion and what I want to do for my career.”

Ma Aye Aye Thet is just one of the many recent graduates from the State School of Music and Drama. Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, a 20-year-old student from the State School of Fine Arts, also had to leave his home to pursue his artistic passion.

“I was always interested in making sculptures, since I was young, but there is no place to study this in my hometown of Dedaye in Ayeyarwady Division,” he said.

Ko Kyaw Soe Oo said he enjoys the impressionist style rather than the more popular realism because it allows for greater interpretation, creativity and imagination.

“Realism can be adopted from natural life – anyone can imitate life in paintings or sculptures but for impressionism the artist needs to be more subtle,” he said.

He also shares Ma Aye Aye Thet’s aspirations of becoming a professional artist and said he planned to continue his studies to achieve this.

Further education was also a goal of 22-year-old Ko Hein Lin Aung. Despite three years at the School of Fine Arts he wants to continue studying, he said, because he feels it’s necessary to be recognised internationally as a Myanmar artist.

“I have to try hard and learn more because being a sculptor requires a lot of dedication and understanding,” he said. “I have been interested in fine art since I was in fourth standard. I was determined to take up this subject and I did it.”

Ko Yan Aung, a 21-year-old music and drama student, said he got his passion for the arts from his family, particularly his grandparents.

“I remember being thrilled and amused when I watched my grandfather playing the oboe and my grandmother danced with the saing (Myanmar orchestra) played by my uncles. I have never forgotten this scene,” he said.

This inspired him to begin learning performing arts from his grandparents, uncles and aunts before joining the State School of Music and Drama in 2005.

While he was studying at the school, judges at the 15th Singing, Dancing, Playing and Writing awards were impressed by his passion and talent, awarding him the mantle of best dancer in his category, dopat. He also won awards for best classical singing and best supported singing with saing in amateur performance.

“When I was honoured as an outstanding student, it was one of the highlights of my life,” Ko Yan Aung said.

He now wants to teach others about traditional performance, as his family members did.

It is a sentiment shared by many students at the State School of Music and Drama and the State School of Fine Arts, including Ma Aye Aye Thet.

“While I want to make singing my career,” she said, “I also have a desire to pass on my love of Myanmar traditional performance by teaching younger students.”