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TIPA celebrates golden jubilee

By Lobsang Wangyal | Tibet Sun

Norbu Samphel of Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts perfrom performs with other artistes in the inter-house competition of the institute celerbates the Golden Jubilee on 11 August 2009.Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India

The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts celebrated the golden jubilee of its founding today with a day long programme highlighted by dance and music competition between the institute’s two houses.

After presenting four rounds of competition — a solo singing, a group song and two dance performances — Gyalu house was adjudged the winner by a four-member jury. The other house is Ngonpa.

Ms Manika Jain, the Director of the liaison office of the external affairs ministry of government of India, who was the chief guest in the afternoon presented the trophy to the winner.

Jain while appreciating the works of Tibetans in preserving and promoting the Tibetan cause and culture, said that the government of India will continue to support the Tibetans.

She also released the video of the two houses’ competition entitled ‘Yarki 2009’ that was recorded earlier.

In the morning the official function was attended by the minister for religion and culture Ven Tsering Phuntsok and other Tibetan government-in-exile officials, NGO heads and others guests.

A video narrating TIPA’s initial days leading up to the present day was shown.

‘Thank you India’ was the theme of the celebrations. India has hosted the exiled Tibetans since 1959 when the Dalai Lama fled Tibet following an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, nine years after the Chinese troops entered the country.

According to the website of the institute, a group of 16 ex-TIPA artistes and members, coordinated by Sonam Sangpo, had organised a benefit concert for TIPA in March 2006 in Minnesota, US. A sum of 4,000 USD collected from the concert was donated to the institute which became the seed money for the golden jubilee celebrations.

After arriving in to exile, the Dalai Lama instructed five artistes who had followed him to establish a Tibetan performing arts group. The five people — Chagnang Lhawang Tsering, Shod Drung Chichag Tashi Dorje, Shod Drung Nornang Ngawang Norbu, Shod Drung Bartso Dorje Dhondup and Chagnang Dorje Rinzin — founded the Tibetan Music, Dance and Drama Society on 11 August 1959 initially in Kalimpong.

The group later moved to Dharamshala after the Dalai Lama established the Tibetan government-in-exile at this hill-top town in northern India in 1960.

Over the years the institute had trained 483 artistes, of which 110 have successfully completed to become professional performers.

Trained professionals are teaching Tibetan dance and music at 81 different schools in India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Artistes graduated from TIPA are performing as solo artistes or in groups around the world.

Another important highlight of which TIPA feels proud is the revival of the Shoton or the Tibetan Opera festival in exile in 1992. This day-long performance that has a combination of dances, chants and songs dates back to the 14th century. There are nine forms of opera performances, and TIPA performs them all.

Kyareng Dhangpo was the first musical album produced by the institute in 1979.

Today, there are ninety members in the institute of which fifty are artistes, five teachers, 13 in crafts section, 19 administrative staff and three retired instructors.

Wangchuk Phasur is the current director.

Copyright © 2009 Tibet Sun

Published in Tibet Sun