His Holiness the Dalai Lama Greets TIPA on Golden Jubilee CelebrationWednesday, 2 December 2009, 6:02 p.m.
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| TIPA artists perform a story of Tibetan opera – Sukyi Nyima – on their golden jubilee celebration on 2 December 2009/Photos by Sangey Kyab |
Dharamshala: Extending
his warm greetings to the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA)
on reaching the 50-year milestone in the preservation and promotion of
Tibetan theatrical arts and culture, His Holiness the Dalai Lama urged
all the members of the institute to continuously put more efforts than
ever before.Established in August 1959 in Kalimpong, India,
TIPA today commemorated the fifty years of excellence in preservation
and promotion of traditional Tibetan performing arts and learning
modern artistic skills.”The Tibetan performing arts symbolises
the essence of our identity, and all the members of the institute, both
old and young, have bravely faced hardships and firmly held to the root
of this art, which they displayed not only within the exile communities
but also across the world,” His Holiness said in his message.His
Holiness said: “the Tibetan artists are able to introduce the Tibet’s
case to the world by performing namthers or traditional operas and by
presenting unique Tibetan customs and dresses in many countries.”
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“On this
occasion of our fifty years in exile, which coincides with the fiftieth
anniversary of the establishment of the Tibetan Institute of Performing
Arts, I would like to offer my greetings to all the members of this
institute. I would like particularly like to offer my prayers to the
older generation and those who are no longer with us,” His Holiness
said.His Holiness further said: “Before the Chinese occupation, Tibet’s performing arts had many different traditions such as garpa or court dancer, nangma kyiduk or
opera groups etc. But today the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
combines all these traditions, thus improving, promoting and preserving
them. I wish to express my appreciation for their achievements. Tibet’s
great yogi Thangtong Gyalpo started the tradition of Tibetan opera,
which is a very advanced form of performing arts that unites many
unique Tibetan characteristics, and hence we must preserve it well.”
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| Chief Guest Kalon Tsering Dhondup (R) honours a former artiste of Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts |
His
Holiness the Dalai Lama underlined the need to take in the good aspects
of modernity, and put more efforts than ever before to actively inform
the international community about Tibetan people’s struggle for a just
cause.TIPA has till date trained 483 young Tibetan men and
women as full fledged artists, and every music and dance teachers
working in 81 different schools across India, Nepal and Bhutan
graduated from the institute. It has toured over 32 different countries
to showcase Tibet’s unique and rich cultural heritage.Senior
officials of the administration, including members of Tibetan
Parliament and the Kashag watched the day-long festivity of splendid
opera performance. India’s liaison officer for the Central Tibetan
Administration, Mrs Maneka Jain, also attended the celebration.
Hundreds of schoolchildren and general public were also present.In
his opening remarks, Mr Wangchuk Phasur, director of the Tibetan
Institute of Performing Arts, extended his warm regards and heartfelt
gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his guidance and grace,
and thanked all the former staff and artists, and the government and
people of India.A photo exhibition reflecting the past and present of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts was also on display.
