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Items Nyulemai Cham (Part II)

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Nyulemai Cham (Part II), Korphu Drup: Day Two [Wide shot]

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LIBRARY DIVISION
Jerome Robbins Dance Division

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COLLECTION
Bhutan Dance Project, Core of Culture

This Item

Nyulemai Cham (Part II)

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Title
Nyulemai Cham (Part II), Korphu Drup: Day Two [Wide shot]
Additional title: Dance of the Evil Spirit (Call a doctor!)
Names
Core of Culture (Organization) (Producer)
Core of Culture (Organization) (Donor)
Collection

Bhutan Dance Project, Core of Culture

Dates / Origin
Date Created: 2007
Library locations
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZIDF 995A
Topics
Dance -- Bhutan
Folk dancing -- Bhutan
Dance -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism
Rites & ceremonies -- Bhutan
Masks -- Bhutan
Spirits (Buddhism)
Buddhist demonology -- Bhutan
Dzongs -- Bhutan -- Trongsa (District)
Trongsa (Bhutan : District)
Festivals -- Bhutan
Ritual and ceremonial dancing -- Bhutan
Mask dances -- Bhutan
Healing -- Religious aspects
Genres
Filmed dance
Filmed performances
Notes
Additional physical form: For close shot version, see: *MGZIDF 995B.
Content: Program of the Korphu Drup: Day Two (Jan. 4, 2007): Atsara Cham - Dance of the Atsaras ; Zheng Zhi Pem - Ritual for Longevity ; Shinjey Yab Yum - Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort ; Sangay Lingpai Nga Cham - The Drum Dance of Sangay Lingpa ; Nyulemai Cham - The Dance of the Evil Spirit ; Chungzhi (Chung Zam) - Dance of the Four Garudas ; Nyulemai Cham (Part II) - The Dance of the Evil Spirit ; Peling Chagtshel - The Line Dance of the Peling Tradition ; Zhanag Nga Cham - Dance of the Black Hats with Drums.
Venue: Videotaped in performance at the Korphu Lakhang, in Trongsa, Bhutan (overlooking the courtyard from the top right of the Lakhang), on Jan. 4, 2007.
Acquisition: Gift; Core of Culture. NN-PD
Physical Description
Born digital
Extent: 1 video file (ca. 26 min.) : sound, color
Description
The Dance of the Nyulema - or Evil Spirit - most often precedes the arrival of the Ging (avenging punishers of Evil) who perform three dances as they search out, conquer and celebrate their victory over the ways of the nyulema. In this dramatic performance the Evil spirit first tries to win the crowd over to his evil ways - and is ably supported in his antics by the attendant atsaras. This clip shows the Nyulema s dance up until the moment he escapes from the Ju-ging who try to encircle him. The Nyulema is an Evil spirit and this extended dance dramatises both his methods of creating mischief and his ultimate discovery and capture by the Ging (who are avenging spirits sent to punish those who transgress). Nyulemai Cham is generally performed prior to the Peling Ging Sum - the three dances of the Ging revealed by Terton Pema Lingpa. At first the nyulema dances together with the atsaras, who act as willing accomplices, and interpret his actions to the crowd. His chief goal is to win the spectators over to his evil ways. The nyulema represents something present in every human being: the three poisons (Doksum (dok = poison) and (sum = three)) of Anger, Greed and Ignorance. He plays to the crowd of spectators on each of the four sides of the arena, promising to give them whatever they want - and feigning to give them food and drink in order to win them over. Eventually, he builds a fence around them to fence them in, since he wishes to make them all part of his retinue. Finally he lies down in the middle of the ground - happy at all the mischief he has done and all the souls he has won over to help him. At this point the Peling Ging-Sum begins, comprising three dances: Ju-ging, Dri-ging and Nga-ging which show the forces of good in direct combat with the evil spirit. Ju means baton or wand and the Ju-ging are spirits tasked to search out the roots of evil (using their wands as sensitive instruments to find out the direction in which evil lies). The Dri-ging - who carry swords - subjugate evil with their weapons before punishing and slaying (with compassion) any evil spirits found. The Nga-ging - who each carry a drum - perform a victory dance at having overcome the evil spirit, and also ensure that even those conquered evil spirits are still prayed for and ultimately liberated from their evil ways. The Nyulema is pursued by the fearsome gings, until he is eventually captured. The evil spirit can only escape from the encircling ging by breaking out between the champon and chamjug. Korphu Drup begins the evening of Jan. 3, 2007 with a religious ceremony held in front of the Lhakhang followed by a Mewang, the burning of a large gate that everyone is invited to pass beneath whilst it's still burning. Various ging dances are also performed during the mewang.
Type of Resource
Moving image
Languages
Dzongkha
Identifiers
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b19944623
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): b31e59c0-0821-0131-35f2-3c075448cc4b
Copyright Notice
Core of Culture
Rights Statement
This item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Item timeline of events

  • 2007: Created
  • 2013: Digitized
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Nyulemai Cham (Part II)" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 2007. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/dfc72d90-0381-0131-6fbb-3c075448cc4b

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Nyulemai Cham (Part II)" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/dfc72d90-0381-0131-6fbb-3c075448cc4b

APA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (2007). Nyulemai Cham (Part II) Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/dfc72d90-0381-0131-6fbb-3c075448cc4b

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/dfc72d90-0381-0131-6fbb-3c075448cc4b | title= (moving image) Nyulemai Cham (Part II), (2007)|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=April 25, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Nyulemai Cham (Part II)