The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA), the exile-based institute which has been entrusted with the responsibility of keeping the age-old tradition of Tibetan opera and music alive, celebrated its 44th year of existence on 30 June.
Much like the rest of the institutes in the Tibetan exile community, TIPA was first started with lots of dreams and hopes and today it has established itself as a premier institute of traditional music. Beginning with a small group of professional artistes, today it is a full-fledged school of learning of the unique Tibetan opera tradition. Its success is clearly reflected through its works- annual activities, researches in the traditional arts, reviving those strands of culture now becoming extinct, performing on the international stage, a culture school and a handicraft section.
The annual celebration of its inception is in fact a culmination of a month long preparation of traditional and modern dances and songs. The highlight of the occasion is the cultural competition between two teams Ngonpa and Gyaloo. Every year, the two groups present dances and songs which were hitherto never performed on stage. The researching of the traditional music takes the artistes to far away remote places and often encountering some of the most interesting characters of our fading generation.
Last year, a new dance from Kham Mirik was brought on the stage. This year, it is a Kyemtong dance performed by the Ngonpa team. Kyemtong is a region that lies in the border of northern part of Kongpo region and south of Dagpo (part of lhoka region). The place was once known for its paper production for the Tibetan currency notes before 1959. Kyemtong residents lead a semi nomadic life. A unique feature in Kyemtong’s life is the annual Yak race ceremony held in the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar, during which the participants perform special dances. As a border region, it is also a confluence of the two different traditions from the north and south: This is most clearly depicted from the inhabitants’ dress and way of life.
This year again, much to the disappointment of Gyaloo team, Ngonpa bagged the prize. In the competition, the two teams performed two dances and two songs each. In the evening, the senior artistes entertained the young trainees with a variety show.
