PO Box 268992, Chicago, IL 60626
Objective: To document the movement vocabulary and ritual enactment of the Drikung Kagyu sacred dance technique; to further obtain personal accounts of traditional teachings of dance, and broaden the body of knowledge concerning the dance' structure and purpose; to cultivate a worldwide appreciation for the form.
Result: Excellent. 42 hours of dance footage; Unprecedented break-down of movement vocabulary by demonstration of Lamayuru abbot, Rangdol Nyima Rinpoche; A first-ever lexicon of basic movements translated into English by Rangdol Nyima and Houseal; 50 pages of notes, diagrams, and observations; New appreciation and enthusiasm among monks, and a marked improvement in the education, control and behavior of tourists attending the festival. Ancient wall paintings of dancing beings , as well as wall paintings of the central deities embodied in the dance were filmed. A rare 300 year old dance diagram, for the Heruka-deity solo dance was shared by HH Chetsang Rinpoche. We were allowed to film this. A copy was drawn by Rangdol Nyima.
Problems: The sheer duration of the dancing was more than almost any camera could stand: 8-16 hours of non-stop shooting, day after day, in dust storms, glaring sunlight and awkward positions resulted in several hours of film without audio, and other hours of film where light was not within our control, and so that film will be difficult to use.
Obtaining interviews was achieved at many, including the very highest, levels of the Order. However, our period at Lamayuru embraced not only a dance festival, but this year included a Great Teaching, and a new courtyard building was being built, so there was constant commotion. The luxury of leisurely questioning and immersive scholarship was not possible. It was immersive dancing and digital media instead.
Regardless, there is ample material to make several kinds of films, and a body of research that lays the foundation for an authoritative book on the subject of tantric dance, especially as it is practiced at Lamayuru.
Follow-up: HH wants a version of our film to be used to revive the tradition at 10 Drikung monasteries in Tibet, as well as be installed in the Drikung Collections and Library. The raw footage must be transformed into a film for the monks, and artmedia for the west.
The movement lexicon needs to be published, and a book on tantric dance is being discussed by several people and publishers at this time, including Ballet Review, who published the first Houseal illustrated essay on Lamayuru dancing. The October Gallery is exploring the possibility of bringing the Lamayuru monks to London for a tour of stately places in connection with an upcoming show of Tibetan art. Regular Email contact is maintained with the Order via a well-placed monk, Samten < samten@parnassus-art.com > who works in the Library and who assisted us in Lamayuru; and letters and phone calls to others in remote places.
next page: Preliminary Dance Research in Pakistan; Lahore, Karachi
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