Cham
The cham dance (Tibetan and Dzongkha: འཆམ་; Wylie: 'cham), also spelled tscham or chaam, is a lively masked and costumed dance associated with some sects of Buddhism, and is part of
Buddhist festivals. The dance is accompanied by music played by monks using traditional
Tibetan instruments. The dances often offer moral instruction relating to compassion for sentient beings and are held to bring merit to all who perceive them.
Cham dances are considered a form of meditation, and an offering to the gods. The leader of the cham is typically a musician, keeping time using some percussion instrument like cymbals, the one exception being Dramyin Cham - where time is kept using dramyin.
Cham content
Chams often depict incidents from the life of Padmasambhava, the 9th century Nyingmapa teacher and other saints.
The great debate of the Council of Lhasa between the two principal debators or dialecticians, Mo Ho Yen and Kamalaśīla is narrated and depicted in a specific cham
dance once held annually at Kum-Bum Dshamba Ling, Tibet. Localities
In Bhutan, the dances are performed during an annual religious festival known as Tsechu, which is held in each district. Only monks or male members of the Royal Academy of Performing Arts are allowed to perform a cham dance in Bhutan.
Tibetans in China usually perform the cham dance to large audiences during the Monlam Prayer Festival.
India
Dances are performed in Sikkim, Dharamsala and Ladakh during cultural and religious festivals.
