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Cham dance
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The Black-Hat Drum Cham (Wylie: zhwa nag rnga 'cham, THL: zhanak ngacham),[1] performed at the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Cham dance at Leh Palace during the Dosmoche festival, 13 February 2018.

The cham dance (Tibetan: འཆམ་, Wylie: 'cham)[2][3] is a lively masked and costumed dance associated with some sects of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhist festivals. The dance is accompanied by music played by monks using traditional Tibetan musical instruments. The dances often offer moral instruction relating to karuṇā (compassion) for sentient beings and are held to bring merit to all who perceive them.[1][4]

Chams are considered a form of meditation and an offering to the gods.[5] The leader of the cham is typically a musician, keeping time with a percussion instrument like cymbals, the one exception being Dramyin Cham, where time is kept using dramyin.

The term "devil dance" was an early 20th century description of the performance, derived from Western perceptions of the costumes worn by performers.[5]

Content

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Two dancers during a cham dance at a temple in Beijing, 1 March 1919.

Chams often depict incidents from the life of Padmasambhava, the 9th century Nyingmapa teacher, and other saints.[6]

The great debate of the Council of Lhasa between the two principal debators or dialecticians, Moheyan and Kamalaśīla is narrated and depicted in a specific cham dance held annually at Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai.[7] One iteration of this dance is performed on the eve of Losar, the Tibetan new year, to commemorate the assassination of the cruel Tibetan king, Langdarma in 841 CE by a monk called Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje. The monk, dressed in a black robe and a black hat, danced outside the palace until he was allowed to perform in front of the emperor, then assassinated him.[8] It is a dance symbolising the victory of good over evil.[9]

The Black Hat dance is a Vajrakilaya dance and is the dance most frequently depicted in paintings.[10] The dance is performed by Buddhist monks and operates in two levels, to achieve enlightenment and to destroy evil forces. The dancers often hold a skull and scarf tied together and then attached to the hilt of a purba.[8]

Localities

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Bhutan

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Dzongkhag dancers during a Tshechu in Jakar, Bhutan, 14 October 2013.

In Bhutan, the dances are performed during the annual religious festivals or tshechu, held in the dzong in each district. The Cham is performed by monks, sometimes nuns and villagers. The Royal Academy of Performing Arts is the main body which promotes the preservation of the culture of Cham. This honors Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and celebrates his deeds through the performance of sacred dances. Since Guru Rinpoche was a fully enlightened being, he is extremely important in Bhutan and it is through his teachings that Bhutanese devotees are shown the true and fast path to enlightenment. These dances assist in cultivating faith and understanding of the Guru deeds, and as such both honor and educate the attendees.

India

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Dances are performed during cultural and religious festivals in:

Mongolia

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Tsam (Mongolian: Цам) dance was not introduced to Mongolia until the early 19th century, however it rapidly gained popularity and visibility with celebrations such as the Tsam festival and the opera Tale of the Moon Cuckoo.[11][12] Tsam came to incorporate both tantric and older, shamanistic elements of dance. It became a significant part of Buddhism in Mongolia before it was banned under communist rule in 1924. The Stalinist purges in Mongolia destroyed over 700 monasteries, killed tens of thousands of Mongolian monks and lamas, and forcibly laicized thousands more monks. The mass murder of so much of Mongolia's monastic culture seriously threatened the tsam dance with extinction, as few practitioners survived the purges. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the introduction of a new constitution permitting religious practices, the practice and performance of tsam dancing has grown enormously. Many of the costumes and masks used for tsam dances survived Soviet purges of monasteries and temples by being buried, hidden, or stored in museums such as the Choijin Lama Temple Museum.

Tibet

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Tibetans usually perform chams to large audiences during the Monlam Prayer Festival.[13] A group of around fifteen Buddhist monks performing a "devil dance" at the Rongbuk Monastery in 1922, watched by a large crowd of Tibetans and the Rongbuk Lama, is featured in Part III of the black and white silent film "Climbing Mt. Everest" (for around 10 minutes, starting 39 minutes into the film).[14]

See also

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References

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Further reading

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Cham dance

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from Grokipedia
Cham dance, known in Tibetan as 'cham (འཆམ་), is a sacred masked performance executed exclusively by Tibetan Buddhist monks during monastic festivals and ceremonies. These dances dramatize mythological narratives from scriptures, embodying deities, protectors, and demonic figures to exorcise malevolent forces, purify the environment, and instruct lay audiences in moral and spiritual principles. Originating in the through the innovations of the tantric master , who is credited with subduing local spirits and establishing in , cham serves as both a communal safeguard and a meditative practice for performers, fostering visualization of enlightened qualities amid stylized gestures and rhythmic footwork. The performances feature elaborate costumes of brocades and masks carved to represent wrathful or pacific divinities, often accompanied by thunderous music from long horns (dungchen), cymbals, and drums that evoke cosmic battles between . Conducted in courtyards on auspicious dates like tshechu festivals, cham reinforces communal bonds and hierarchical monastic authority, with sequences culminating in the symbolic slaying of effigies representing ego or adversity, followed by dispersal to avert misfortune. While primarily a Tibetan tradition, variants persist in Bhutanese and Mongolian Buddhist contexts, adapting local yet preserving core tantric functions of transformation and .

Origins and History

Historical Origins

The Cham dance tradition originated in the late CE, attributed to the tantric master ( Rinpoche), who played a pivotal role in founding . Invited to by King around 747–751 CE to counter obstacles from local spirits during the establishment of Monastery—the region's first Buddhist monastic complex— reportedly performed masked ritual dances to exorcise demons and purify the sacred site. These performances, rooted in Indian tantric practices, symbolized the triumph of dharma over adversarial forces, incorporating dynamic movements to invoke deities and dispel negativity. The first documented Cham performances coincided with Samye's consecration ceremonies circa 779 CE, marking the dances' integration into monastic rituals of the school, which traces its lineage directly to . Initially esoteric and restricted to ordained practitioners, the dances drew from indigenous shamanistic elements—such as spirit subjugation and masked impersonations—while adapting them to , thereby facilitating the assimilation of pre-existing Tibetan animistic traditions into frameworks. This synthesis served didactic purposes, visually enacting hagiographic episodes from 's life to affirm Buddhism's doctrinal authority over local deities. Historical texts, including termas (treasure revelations), preserve choreographic instructions attributed to , underscoring the dances' origins as tantric visualizations enacted physically for communal purification and merit generation. By the , amid the Tibetan Empire's patronage of , Cham had become a staple of monastic festivals, though records remain sparse due to the oral and initiatory nature of transmission until later codifications in the 12th–14th centuries by figures like .

Evolution and Spread

Cham dance originated in Tibet through the adaptation of indigenous Bon shamanic rituals into tantric Buddhist practices, primarily attributed to the 8th-century Indian master Padmasambhava, who is credited with subduing local spirits via masked performances to aid Buddhism's establishment. This synthesis incorporated elements of pre-existing Tibetan folk and ritual dances with Indian tantric influences introduced alongside Buddhism from the 7th century onward, evolving into a formalized monastic tradition by the 11th century. Over time, cham developed distinct regional variations, with choreographies transmitted through mystical visions to tantric masters, emphasizing meditative and exorcistic functions while absorbing local artistic essences. The spread of cham paralleled the expansion of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism across the and . From Tibetan monasteries, it disseminated to by the medieval period, integrating into annual tshechu festivals as a core cultural and religious expression. In the , Tibetan Buddhism's transmission to introduced cham as tsam, a principal form performed during events like the to invoke protection and dispel evil. Further dissemination occurred to Himalayan regions including , , and , as well as Tibetan exile communities in Indian provinces like and , where performances persist in monastic settings despite political disruptions.

Core Elements

Masks and Costumes

Masks used in Cham dance are primarily constructed from , wood, or occasionally metal, coated and painted with vibrant colors to depict fierce expressions and symbolic features. These masks represent a range of figures, including such as or Guru Dorje Drolo, protectors like the King of , attendants, animals, and local spirits including the Deer God and Yak God. By donning the masks, performers ritually embody the depicted entities, transcending personal identity to channel divine or protective forces, thereby enacting moral teachings on good versus evil and facilitating the expulsion of negative influences during performances. Costumes complement the masks with elaborate designs featuring heavy silk brocades in dark hues, wide-sleeved gowns, embroidered aprons adorned with skull motifs, and triangular cape-like collars. Accessories include ornate boots shaped like makara sea monsters, decorated with bone lozenges, vajras, and beads; strings of bone ornaments; and, for wrathful protectors, tiger-skin aprons or loincloths, with female counterparts in leopard-skin skirts. These elements symbolize spiritual power, protection against malevolent forces, and the wearer's transformation into a being, enhancing the ritual's efficacy in invoking blessings and subduing demons. In some performances, skeleton-decorated costumes accompany masks to underscore themes of impermanence and fearlessness toward .

Choreography and Movements

Cham dances are characterized by ritualistic that emphasizes circular formations, symbolizing the as an embodied representation of the enlightened universe and divine realms. Dancers typically perform in synchronized groups, entering the performance space in processions and arranging themselves into geometric patterns that unfold and reform, often over extended durations spanning hours or days. Movements range from simple, repetitive steps—such as hops, kicks, turns, and asymmetrical extensions where one hand and leg are drawn inward while the opposites extend outward—to more dynamic actions including aerial spiral jumps and vigorous head-shaking to evoke the ferocity of . Expressive hand gestures, or mudras, accompany these steps, enacting symbolic invocations and offerings that align with the dancers' embodiment of specific deities. Choreography varies by dance type: peaceful cham feature graceful, measured motions reflecting serene divinities, while wrathful variants incorporate forceful, combative sequences depicting the subjugation of demons and obstacles. All sequences are precisely timed to ritual chants and orchestral accompaniment, with performers trained progressively in increasingly complex patterns to maintain the dance's meditative and protective efficacy. The overall structure often narrates mythological events, such as those from Padmasambhava's life, using these movements to transmit Dharma and dispel negativity.

Music and Accompaniment

The music accompanying Cham dances features ensembles of monks wielding traditional Tibetan Buddhist ritual instruments, generating loud, resonant percussion and wind sounds that dictate the rhythm of the performers' slow, stylized movements while amplifying the sacred ambiance. Percussion forms the rhythmic foundation, with large paired cymbals (rolmo or silnyen) clashing to mark accents and transitions, hand-held damaru skull drums providing intricate beats, and larger frame drums (nga) or gongs delivering sustained, booming pulses. These elements synchronize precisely with the choreography, guiding processions, symbolic gestures, and climactic sequences. Wind instruments contribute deep, atmospheric tones, including the elongated bronze dungchen —reaching up to three meters—which emits prolonged, reverberating calls; the shrill double-reed gyaling for melodic overlays; and ritual variants like the kangling (thighbone ), conch shells, or dharma horns for evoking otherworldly summons. Bells and additional gongs interweave subtle resonances, heightening the music's solemn intensity. Chanted liturgies by presiding lamas often integrate with the , reciting melodies tied to the deities invoked, though the remains predominantly to immerse audiences in the ritual's exorcistic and protective functions. The overall escalates in volume during key phases, such as demon-subduing segments, to instill awe and reinforce the dances' doctrinal narratives. Across regions like Bhutan and Tibetan exile communities, the core apparatus persists with minor local inflections, such as amplified folk percussion in Bhutanese tshechu festivals, preserving the music's role in embodying tantric visions and warding malevolent forces.

Religious Significance

Spiritual and Symbolic Roles

Cham dances embody tantric practices within , where masked performers invoke and impersonate deities to enact the subjugation of malevolent spirits and the purification of negative influences. Originating from legends of Guru Rinpoche () performing dances to conquer local demons during the 8th-century establishment of in , these rituals symbolize the integration of enlightened awareness over primordial chaos. Symbolically, the dances depict archetypal figures from tantric iconography, including wrathful protectors like through performances such as the Dance of the Eight Classes of Spirits (Lha sde bnyed pa'i 'cham), which honors guardian deities and asserts dharma's dominance over obstructing forces. Masks and costumes represent specific entities—red hues denoting wrathful to fiercely defend sacred teachings, skeletal forms evoking guardians of charnel grounds who oversee the impermanence of form, and multi-faced heads signifying multifaceted wisdom overcoming delusion. For participants and observers, Cham serves a transformative role, believed to dispel obstacles, balance spiritual energies, and foster communal harmony by ritually exterminating negativity, as in the Black Hat Dance ('Cham zhwa nag) that clears spaces for enlightened activities. Dancers transcend ego through embodiment, channeling the deity's power to transmit blessings and reveal non-dual , aligning with Vajrayana's emphasis on experiential realization over conceptual understanding. Empirical accounts from monastic traditions report heightened meditative states post-performance, though such effects remain tied to and context rather than isolated causation.

Ritual Functions

Cham dances primarily function to invoke protective deities and expel malevolent forces, thereby removing obstacles and negativities that afflict sentient beings within Tibetan . These rituals symbolically drive away negative karmas and evil spirits, often culminating in the dramatic slaying of a central effigy representing demonic influences, as seen in performances during festivals like . Performances frequently dramatize key events from the life of , the 8th-century Indian tantric master who introduced to , illustrating the subjugation of local deities and the establishment of over chaos. This enactment reinforces the tantric principle of transforming ordinary perception into enlightened vision, with dancers embodying wrathful or peaceful deities to manifest their protective energies. For monastic practitioners, cham serves as a meditative vehicle aligned with practices outlined in texts such as the , where precise choreography and visualization cultivate non-dual awareness and supreme siddhis. The dances enable performers to assume the "divine pride" of enlightened beings, discarding egoic identity to align body, speech, and mind with sacred forms. On a communal level, cham transmits doctrinal narratives and moral exemplars to lay audiences, fostering devotion and merit through visual storytelling of , impermanence, and the victory of wisdom over ignorance. Observers who participate with faith receive blessings for longevity, health, and wish fulfillment, enhancing the ritual's role in collective purification and auspiciousness.

Performance Practices

Festivals and Occasions

Cham dances are performed primarily during annual religious festivals in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and communities across regions including Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia, and parts of India such as Ladakh. These occasions serve to commemorate key figures like Padmasambhava, enact moral teachings through symbolic performances, and facilitate communal rituals for purification and blessing. Performances typically align with the Tibetan lunar calendar, emphasizing their integration into sacred cycles rather than secular events. In , cham dances form the core of tshechu festivals, held yearly on the tenth day of a at dzongs (fortress-monasteries) in each district. These multi-day events feature sequences of masked dances depicting Buddhist narratives, culminating in the unfurling of giant thangkas (religious scrolls) for public veneration. Notable examples include the Paro Tshechu, spanning five days in spring—such as April 8 to 12 in 2025—with dances honoring protective deities; and the Tshechu in autumn, from the 11th to 15th day of the eighth Bhutanese month, typically late . Similarly, the Gangtey Tshechu at Gangtey Goemba occurs from the 13th to 15th of the eighth month, around late . Tibetan cham festivals often tie to specific monasteries and commemorative dates. At Tsurphu Monastery, the annual cham celebrates on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, as in May 30, 2023. Samye Monastery hosts performances on the 10th and 11th days of the first Tibetan month (around ) and the 15th to 17th days of the fourth month (around May). The Sakya Monastery's cham festival includes masked dances with processions and moral instruction, typically in summer. In Ladakh, events like the Takthok Tsechu on the 10th and 11th of the sixth lunar month feature specialized cham such as Guru Tshogye. In Mongolia, known as tsam, these dances occur during monastic festivals for exorcism and protection, often at the year's start to dispel negativity like disease and drought. Performances blend Tibetan tantric elements with local heritage, held in monasteries during dedicated rituals rather than fixed national dates. Overall, such occasions reinforce doctrinal teachings and community bonds through public spectacle, with attendance drawing both devotees and visitors.

Settings and Structure

Cham dances are conducted in the central courtyards of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, which function as open-air theaters for these ritual performances during key annual festivals such as tshechu celebrations and Losar, the Tibetan New Year. These settings accommodate assembled monastic communities and lay audiences, with dances often encircling a central flagpole or ritual altar. Performances follow a structured sequence beginning with preparatory chants and offerings by monks to sanctify the space and invoke deities. A of musicians sounding horns, bone trumpets, cymbals, and drums signals the arrival of masked dancers from the temple, establishing the sacred perimeter. The core consists of successive dances, each embodying specific figures like protectors or narrative episodes—such as the Black Hat Dance with its intricate steps or subjugation motifs depicting triumphs over evil—interspersed with humorous Atsara interludes to engage spectators. Variations occur across sects and monasteries, but the order preserves a progression from to confrontation and resolution, culminating in exorcistic rites that slay effigies of malevolent entities and distribute blessings. This format ensures precise execution to harness the dances' protective potency.

Regional Variations

Tibet

In Tibet, cham dance originated in the 8th century CE, introduced by the tantric master (Guru Rinpoche), who is credited with using masked ritual performances to subdue indigenous spirits and demons, thereby facilitating the establishment of in the region. These dances integrated elements of pre-Buddhist shamanistic traditions with symbolism, evolving into formalized monastic rituals by the time of King (r. 755–797 CE), who sponsored early performances at Samye Monastery, 's first Buddhist temple. Unlike secular entertainments, cham in remains exclusively performed by ordained monks within monastery courtyards, emphasizing purification, moral instruction through reenactments of deities' triumphs over ignorance, and the generation of merit for participants. Major performances occur during key religious festivals tied to the Tibetan lunar calendar, such as the Great Prayer Festival (Mönlam Chenmo) in , instituted by in 1409 CE and featuring cham dances on the 15th day to symbolize the victory of dharma over obstacles, drawing thousands to sites like the Jokhang Temple. In central , the three great monasteries—Drepung, Sera, and Ganden—host annual cham cycles during (Tibetan New Year) in February or March, incorporating dances like the Black Hat Dance (zhana), performed by high lamas to invoke for protection against malevolent forces. Tashilhunpo Monastery in , seat of the , stages elaborate cham during its Shoton Festival in August, blending dance with unveilings and horse races, a practice documented since the 15th century. Regional variations within highlight sectarian differences: sites like Mindrolling emphasize Guru Rinpoche-themed dances depicting his life and subjugations, while Monastery's assemblies in July and November focus on tantric invocations through synchronized monk formations. Tsurphu Monastery, Karmapa's seat, holds a dedicated cham festival in the sixth to honor Padmasambhava's propagation of , featuring 108 dancers in sequences lasting up to three days. These events, restricted to monastic precincts, underscore cham's role in esoteric transmission, with audiences receiving blessings via proximity to the dances, though post-1959 political changes have limited public access and frequency in the compared to exile communities.

Bhutan

In Bhutan, Cham dances form the centerpiece of tshechu festivals, annual religious celebrations held in the courtyards of dzongs, or fortress-monasteries, commemorating the tenth day of the Bhutanese lunar calendar and the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche, the eighth-century Indian tantric master who introduced Vajrayana Buddhism to the region. These events, typically spanning three to four days, draw large crowds of locals and pilgrims who gather to witness masked performances that reenact episodes from Buddhist lore, including the subjugation of malevolent spirits by enlightened beings. Dancers, primarily monks from the hosting monastery, embody deities through slow, deliberate movements synchronized to the rhythms of traditional instruments such as large thighbone trumpets, cymbals, and drums. The choreography emphasizes ritual precision over athleticism, with performers donning intricately carved wooden or masks representing wrathful protectors, animals, or folk figures, often adorned with brocade costumes and symbolic attributes like crowns or ritual daggers. Specific dances include the Shana Cham, a protective opening featuring dancers in black hats to purify the , and the Durdag Cham, portraying lords of cremation grounds to exorcise negative forces. A distinctive Bhutanese variant is the Dramétsé Ngacham, or drum dance of thunder, originating in the eastern Drametse around the 16th century from terma revelations; it involves 16 dancers in animal masks beating cylindrical drums to symbolize the trampling of ego and demonic influences. These performances serve dual purposes: as in motion, allowing dancers to invoke , and as communal merit accumulation, believed to dispel obstacles and foster for all sentient beings witnessing the rites. Bhutan's Cham tradition traces its roots to Guru Rinpoche's legendary dances during his eighth-century campaigns to tame local spirits, with many choreographies preserved as sacred transmissions in monastic lineages rather than widespread innovations. Unlike Tibetan variants, Bhutanese performances integrate and influences, emphasizing tantric efficacy over theatrical elements, and often conclude with the unfurling of a massive thongdrol depicting Guru Rinpoche, through which devotees pass for purification. Atsaras, masked clowns drawn from monastic attendants, interject comic relief to underscore moral teachings, ensuring the rituals remain accessible while maintaining esoteric depth. Attendance at tshechus, such as Paro Tshechu in spring or Tshechu in autumn, reinforces national cultural identity, with the dances held to generate auspicious conditions for the kingdom's prosperity.

India

In India, are performed primarily in Himalayan regions with strong Tibetan Buddhist traditions, such as , , and , where monasteries of the and sects stage these rituals during annual festivals to dramatize Buddhist narratives, symbolize the triumph of good over evil, and ward off malevolent spirits. These performances, rooted in practices introduced by in the 8th century, blend tantric symbolism with local cultural elements and attract both devotees and tourists. In Ladakh, the Hemis Monastery—founded in the 17th century and affiliated with the Drukpa Kagyu lineage—hosts the Hemis Tsechu festival on the 10th day of the fifth Tibetan lunar month, typically in June or July, commemorating Padmasambhava's birth and victory over demons. The two-day event features masked Cham dances accompanied by cymbals, trumpets, and drums, including the Skeleton Dance (Durdak Garcham) with skull masks representing impermanence and protector deities; the Deer Dance (Sha Cham), enacting Jetsun Milarepa's legend of rescuing a deer; and the Black Hat Dance (Zhana Nga Cham), performed in skull-embroidered robes to recall a tantric monk's assassination of the anti-Buddhist king Langdarma in the 9th century. Similar dances occur at other Ladakh monasteries, such as Spituk during the Gustor Festival in winter, emphasizing ritual purification. In , the —the largest in and a center established in 1680—organizes the Torgya Festival in January, preceding , with 21 distinct Cham performances in the courtyard to exorcise negativity and invoke protection. Key dances include Phacham, featuring a dancer in a boar's symbolizing ordained monastic prowess; Cham honoring the wrathful protector deity; Zom Cham by two wrathful figures; Gelong Cham; and phag dang lang cham, depicting a peacock and ox in pantomime of mythical tales. These evolve from secretive tantric rites into public spectacles, incorporating local Monpa folk motifs while preserving Tibetan origins. Performances also occur in Sikkim at sites like Pal Karma Zurmang Shedup Chokhor Lingdum Monastery and in Himachal Pradesh's Valley and Tibetan exile settlements, though on a smaller scale than in or , often tied to or monastery-specific rituals.

Mongolia

In Mongolia, the Cham dance is performed as Tsam, a masked derived from Tibetan Vajrayana and adapted to reflect nomadic cultural elements such as expansive landscapes and communal gatherings. Introduced in the early amid the consolidation of Gelugpa influence, Tsam serves to exorcise malevolent spirits, purify environments, and avert calamities like and through symbolic enactments of deities battling demons. Dancers, typically young monks, don elaborate costumes and oversized masks depicting figures like guardian apostles, animals, and infernal beings, accompanied by ritual chants, drums, and cymbals to invoke protective energies. Tsam performances emphasize moral narratives, portraying the triumph of over chaos, with Mongolian variants featuring heightened pageantry—such as amplified mask expressions and attire incorporating fur and felt—to suit traditions and audience participation from herders. These dances historically occurred at courtyards during annual cycles tied to lunar calendars, but faced eradication during Soviet-era purges starting in , which demolished over 700 monasteries and banned rituals as feudal remnants, halting practice until the 1990s . Revival efforts post-1990, led by institutions like Gandantegchilen Monastery in , have restored Tsam as a cultural anchor, blending spiritual efficacy with amid pressures. Contemporary Tsam unfolds primarily at the Danshig festival, held the first weekend of at Khui Doloon Khudag, 35 kilometers west of , drawing thousands for two-day combining masked dances, wrestling, and under monastic oversight. Performances last several hours, structured sequentially from benevolent deities to demon subjugation, culminating in communal blessings; attendance peaked at like the 2023 Khuree Tsam, underscoring resilience despite funding shortages and urbanization eroding monastic training. Preservation initiatives, including mask craftsmanship workshops at Museum, aim to transmit techniques lost in the 20th-century suppressions, ensuring Tsam's role in fostering communal harmony.

Modern Practice and Preservation

Current Performances

Contemporary Cham dance performances persist primarily in Bhutanese tshechu festivals, Ladakhi monastic events in , and select Tibetan monasteries, where they serve ritual purposes amid ongoing cultural preservation. In , these dances occur annually at dzongs like Paro and , featuring masked monks enacting stories and exorcisms during multi-day celebrations aligned with the . In India's region, the Hemis Festival at includes Cham dances in early summer, with 2024 performances held in depicting the victory of good over evil through choreographed sequences. Similarly, the Phyang Tsedup Festival near featured Cham dances on July 23, 2025, drawing local and international observers to courtyard rituals. Within , performances continue at sites like Tsurphu Monastery, where the annual Cham festival on the 10th day of the fourth lunar month commemorates the Karmapa's birth; the 2024 event occurred around mid-April. In , analogous Tsam dances are staged in Buddhist monasteries during summer festivals, maintaining tantric elements despite Soviet-era suppressions. These events typically involve 20-50 monks in elaborate costumes, lasting several hours, though access in remains limited by administrative controls.

Challenges and Efforts

In Tibet, Cham dance confronts severe challenges from Chinese government policies that curtail religious freedoms and monastic activities, essential for the tradition's transmission. Regulations consolidating oversight of restrict ritual performances, with authorities often equating such practices with , leading to , closures, and prohibitions on large-scale events. These measures, intensified since 2017, have diminished opportunities for monk training in Cham choreography and symbolism, while broader assimilation campaigns—such as mandatory residential schooling for over 80% of Tibetan children by 2023—erode cultural knowledge transfer by prioritizing state curricula over monastic education. Consequently, ageing performers and reduced recruitment threaten the dance's continuity inside , though official Chinese narratives claim cultural flourishing without independent verification. In , preservation faces pressures from modernization and tourism, including a declining pool of trained dancers as younger generations pursue urban livelihoods, alongside that risks transforming sacred rituals into spectator events detached from spiritual intent. Despite these, Bhutanese authorities integrate Cham into national heritage frameworks, with the Traditional and Division offering diploma-level courses in mask dance since the early 2000s to certify practitioners and sustain technical proficiency. Annual tshechu festivals, mandated by royal decree, ensure public performances that reinforce communal transmission, while documentation projects capture choreography for archival purposes. Exile Tibetan communities, particularly in and , have spearheaded revival efforts, with lineages preserved at institutions like Benchen Monastery since the 1960s and organizations such as Core of Culture conducting fieldwork to train successors in authentic forms. These initiatives emphasize oral transmission from veteran lamas, countering in-country disruptions, though they reach only a fraction of the and face funding constraints. Overall, while regional threats vary—political in , socioeconomic in —efforts rely on institutional training, festival continuity, and diaspora documentation to mitigate erosion, with no comprehensive global coordination evident as of 2025.

References

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  28. https://texts.mandala.library.virginia.edu/book_pubreader/51256
  29. https://cid-ds.org/buddhismcham/
  30. https://www.thirdrockadventures.com/blog/tshechu-in-bhutan-the-masked-dance-festivals-of-bhutan
  31. https://www.greattibettour.com/bhutan-tours/grand-festivals-in-bhutan.html
  32. https://www.indiaodysseytours.com/knows/tshechu-festival-bhutan.html
  33. https://bhutanpelyabtours.com/gangtey-tshechu-festival-tour-sep-2026-7-nights-8-days/
  34. https://www.tibettravel.org/news/sakya-cham-dancing-festival.html
  35. https://www.lehladakhtaxis.com/practical-info/ladakh-monastery-festivals
  36. https://www.escapetomongolia.com/blog/buddhism-in-mongolia-tsam-dance
  37. https://sites.asiasociety.org/arts/mongolia/tsam.html
  38. https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-festivals/tibet-great-prayer-festival.html
  39. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcEn4ni83ow
  40. https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-festivals/tsurphu-festival.html
  41. https://www.alwaysbhutan.com/tshechu/
  42. https://www.tshechu.com/about/the-10-most-popular-masked-dances-at-bhutanese-festivals/
  43. https://images.mandala.library.virginia.edu/image/durdag-cham-dance-atsara-clown-dancing-them-during-tsechu-festival-dzongdrakha-paro
  44. https://texts.mandala.library.virginia.edu/book_pubreader/40701
  45. https://tricycle.org/article/bhutan-treasure-dances/
  46. https://www.ombatravel.com/more-than-a-dance-the-sacred-power-of-mask-dances-in-bhutan/
  47. http://www.sahapedia.org/monastic-cham-arunachal-pradesh
  48. http://www.sahapedia.org/cham-dances-buddhism-skeleton-deer-and-black-hat
  49. https://utsav.gov.in/view-event/hemis-tsechu-1
  50. https://inditales.com/cham-dance-himalayan-monasteries/
  51. https://tawangtourism.in/religious-dances/
  52. https://utsav.gov.in/view-event/torgya-festival-1
  53. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOKMp1BdnNo
  54. https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/mongolia-a-complex-dance-survival/
  55. https://www.selenatravel.com/blog/the-tsam-dance
  56. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/mongol-tsam-dance-the-fine-arts-zanabazar-museum/IQXRxpdv6Rm7PA?hl=en
  57. https://www.mongolianfestivals.com/danshig-naadam-religious-festival/
  58. https://muse.international/index/tsam-the-dance-of-gods-mongolian-culture/
  59. https://yellowwoodadventures.com/journal/cultural-festivals-travel
  60. https://www.sacredearthjourneys.ca/blog/embracing-tradition-experiencing-the-hemis-festivals-mesmerizing-cham-dances-and-cultural-splendor/
  61. https://www.facebook.com/groups/431921264125451/posts/1691632138154351/
  62. https://rove.me/to/tibet/cham-dance-festival
  63. https://www.facebook.com/groups/beyondvision16/posts/9816521471776860/
  64. https://savetibet.org/chinas-revised-religious-regulations-threaten-survival-of-tibetan-buddhism/
  65. https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/china-is-suddenly-cracking-down-on
  66. http://www.cecc.gov/events/hearings/preserving-tibet-combating-cultural-erasure-forced-assimilation-and-transnational
  67. https://english.news.cn/20230817/7afbda210600441bba4b882da1f7f9c4/c.html
  68. https://www.academia.edu/126150382/Mask_Dance_in_Bhutan_Unveiling_Reality_Through_Masked_Kaleidoscope
  69. https://doc.gov.bt/divisions/traditional-performing-arts-and-music-division/
  70. https://www.amenbhutan.com/blog/traditional-bhutanese-music-dance-insight
  71. https://ausdance.org.au/articles/details/dance-of-a-tibetan-lama-in-exile
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