Biographical/Historical: This is the second year that we have documented the Ngangbi dances (2005 & 2006). The courtyard has been improved, expanded and flattened so as to get rid of the very noticeable slope of previous times. The cameras are in much the same positions as before, but there is now more space for spectators. The arena was roped off. The documentation concentrated mainly on the Zhey dances and did not shoot many of the intermediate masked dances and boedra. A new lama has been appointed (the ex-Champoen at Trongsa Dzong) and he introduced for the first time an external dance - a five-man version of Zhanag (with masks) using monks from Chakar. This, too, was not recorded - though the execution was good.
Content: Ngangbi Rabney/Ngangbi Ramnyen, Day Two: Dec. 5, 2006: Beh - Martial Dances in front of the Deities temporarily installed for the festival ; Sachak Namchak (Shinjey with Yak masks) a special version of the ground-breaking dance using the very sacred Yak-headed masks carved by Namkha Samdrup ; Zhey, Pt. 1 first part of the long dance performed by the local Zheypa group ; Zhanag Cham - Black Hat dance performed by local dancers ; Zhey, Pt. 2 Second part and continuation of the Zhey dance ; Tshog Cham - Offering Dance ; Zhey, Pt. 3 continuation of the dance by the Zheypa ; Namkhai Samdrup Ngacham - The Drum Dance of Lama Namkha Samdrup ; Zhey, Pt. 4 - final section of the Zhey dances for the day it develops into the final exit procession of the relics back to the temple.
Venue: Videotaped in performance at the Ngangbi Lhakhang, in Bumthang, Bhutan (first floor of the Lhakhang - looking back across the same diagonal as camera C), on Dec. 5, 2006)
Acquisition: Gift; Core of Culture. NN-PD
Biographical/Historical: The Nganbi Ramnyen is a remarkably well-run and well preserved festival which is organised amongst 8 different villages in the Chhoekhor vallery. The Festival takes place at the Ngangbi Lhkakhang which is next door to the Noble house presided over by descendants of Lam Namkha Samdrup. The set of Zhey (Nobleman Families) dances is a remarkable survival from the time of the Zhabdrung and this variant is particular to the place. The dating of the festival is not fixed to a particular month or date but depends upon the timing of an astronomical event - as is also true at Namkha Lhakang (just over the hill from Nganbi) another temple established by Namkha Samdrup. Other particular parts to the festival include: The reading of the Tam (Jambay Lekshey) to representatives of each household - a set of dos and don ts for the participants in the festival (Do be courteous to others during the festival; Don t get drunk and fight during the festival; Don t put a big penis in a small vagina! etc. ) An evening meal for the Zhey and other participants in the festival in which ancestral food which includes cooked cow hide is served to all. The Hung Hung La dance is the last item on the festival list, and takes place throughout the evening of the last day. The Gathpo, Ganmo and Botsa atsaras go around all the local houses, giving auspicious blessings and cracking lewd jokes until dawn the next day.
Biographical/Historical: Ngangbi Ramnyen is held for three days from the 15th to the 17th days of the 10th Bhutanese month. A Chamjug or rehearsal day is held the day before. This information is generally correct, however, the timing of this particular tsechu is moved to coincide with a precise astronomical event, hence the dates may move either forwards or backwards.

Physical Description

Extent: 1 video file (7 min.) : sound, color

Abstract

In the afternoon period, the girls who had sung and danced boedra between the various masked dances and Zhey performances were joined by an older woman from the village - who led them to further heights. She sang this one hauntinglly beautiful Zhungdra song - which I remember from the previous year, and therefore taped. There's a version from the previous year also amongst the digitized clips.

Languages

Dzongkha

Identifiers

NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b19942807
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): bba915d0-0821-0131-1018-3c075448cc4b

Access

Core of Culture

Rights

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).

Type Of Resource

Moving Image

Cite this item

MLA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Zhungdra, Ngangbi Rabney: Day Two" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 2006. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bba915d0-0821-0131-1018-3c075448cc4b

APA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (2006). Zhungdra, Ngangbi Rabney: Day Two Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bba915d0-0821-0131-1018-3c075448cc4b

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Zhungdra, Ngangbi Rabney: Day Two" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed December 13, 2025. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bba915d0-0821-0131-1018-3c075448cc4b

Wikipedia citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bba915d0-0821-0131-1018-3c075448cc4b | title= (moving image) Zhungdra, Ngangbi Rabney: Day Two (2006) | author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library | accessdate=December 13, 2025 | publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>