The Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association (Portland) is a non-profit organization with the mission of preserving and promoting the rich cultural traditions and values of Tibet. A key part of Tibetan culture is dance, and the organization has both children’s and adults’ dance groups. Folk musicians play traditional Tibetan music on native instruments while dancing with the groups.
Bio
The Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association is a non-profit organization with the mission of preserving and promoting the rich cultural traditions and values of Tibet including Buddhist values, the Tibetan language, and dance. The older generation, who learned the traditions either from their families in Tibet or in exile, teach the younger generation each week. A key part of Tibetan culture is dance, and the organization has both children’s and adults’ dance groups. A or (Tibetan lute) player dances and plays alongside the folk dancers as they perform. Song is a vibrant part of Tibetan culture, so the dancers often sing as they dance. The Tibetan dance groups perform at community events such as weddings, parties, and regional gatherings as well as at public events. Members enjoys promoting awareness of their rich cultural heritage and reinforcing the Dalai Lama’s message of global peace and compassion. Two of the musicians who perform with dance groups, Tashi Dhondup and Sonam Tsering, learned traditional music and dance through the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharamsala, India. They now teach the , also known as , and the (hammered dulcimer) to students through the NW Tibetan Cultural Association. Both instruments are traditional in Tibetan classical music; the beautiful wooden is particularly important and has become a symbol of the Tibetan culture in exile and thus important as a tradition to pass to the younger generation.
