A two-month “Basic Mon Traditional Dance and Musical Instrument Course” has been launched for the new generation of Mon youth living in Yangon Region, according to officials from the Mon Literature and Culture Committee (Yangon), which is organizing the training.
Committee members said the course aims to preserve and promote Mon cultural heritage among young people living in Yangon, where Mon communities live alongside various other ethnic groups. Cultural advocates have warned that without such efforts, Mon language and traditions could gradually disappear in the city.
The training, which began on October 7 (during the Thadingyut school holidays), will continue until November 30. Many Mon youth have reportedly joined the course with enthusiasm.
“We want the Mon children living in Yangon to learn our traditional songs, dances, and music. I’m worried they’ll grow up without knowing anything about their heritage. Here in the city, most speak Burmese and rarely use the Mon language, unlike in Mon areas where people mostly interact within their own community,” said an official from the Mon Literature and Culture Committee (Yangon).
He added that Mon people in Yangon have also started incorporating traditional Mon dances and customs into weddings, ordination ceremonies, and other celebrations.
“For major cultural or religious events, our group is sometimes invited to perform. But since most Mon people here are busy, only around 30 members usually join,” he added.
The Mon Literature and Culture Committee (Yangon) also performed traditional Mon dances during the opening ceremony of the “Buddha Pujaniya Festival at Kyaik Htee Yoe (Golden Rock) Pagoda” held on the full moon day of Thadingyut this year.
Founded in 1972, the Mon Literature and Culture Committee (Yangon) has been active for over 50 years. However, due to changing political circumstances, it has only been able to organize cultural training courses for about three years in total.
The committee was established to promote both Mon culture and political awareness among Mon people. Over the past five decades, it has organized Mon language classes, cultural research, traditional dance courses, calendar publications, and the distribution of Mon reading materials.
