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Bhutanese
Folk , Drum and Mask Dance
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Bhutan Culture |
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Bhutan Information |
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Standardisation
of mask dances underway
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The Dranyen
(guitar dance) and Chhoezhay Cham (religious dance) will be introduced
in other dzongkhags as part of a move to standardise mask dances in the
country. These two sacred dances, popular in Thimphu and Paro, are usually
performed when the Thongdroel is unfurled for the devotees during
religious festivals. About 26 Chhampons (dance masters) and Chhamjugs
(mask dancers) from the 11 southern and eastern dzongkhags are being
taught the Dranyen and Chhoezhay Cham at the Royal Academy of Performing
arts (RAPA).
Thongdroel |
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"They
will be given an opportunity to dance during the Thimphu Tshechu ," said the RAPA principal, Rabjam Thinley Jamtsho.
According
to Dasho Sithel Dorji's book on the origin and description of Bhutanese
mask dances, the Chozhay dance was introduced by Drogoen Tsangpa Jarey
in the 12th century.
According
to legend Tsangpa Jarey's attempt to open the sacred Tsari mountain to pilgrims was thwarted when the guardian deity of the Turquoise Lake,
Yum Tsho, turned into a huge frog and blocked the entrance. Tsangpa
Jarey subdued the frog and opened the Nye. A dance with eleven steps was
introduced to commemorate the event.
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origin of the Dranyen cham goes back to the 17th century when Zhabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal unified Bhutan by crushing all external and internal
enemies. The guitar dance was introduced to celebrate the happy state of
the country under the Zhabdrung's enlightened rule.
Meanwhile,
most of the dances in the country had been standardised through a series
of workshops organised by the RAPA. |
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"Although
the dances existed in Bhutan from the beginning they differed from dzongkhag
to dzongkhag," said Rabjam Thinley Jamtsho. "Our aim is to maintain and
preserve the respective folk dances and at the same time standardise the
dances taught by RAPA."
In
Bhutan, there are two types of mask dances. The Boe-chham is performed
by laymen and the Gyalong-cham by the monks. In Bhutan, the performance
of mask dances is a deeply spiritual affair.
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| Courtesy of
RAPA |
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more
information
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