TitleTibet Week, Symbols and metaphors of Tibetan art
NamesNew York Public Library. Dance Division (Producer)Kealiinohomoku, Joann W (Commentator)Merchant, Vasant V. (Speaker)Calkowski, Marcia, 1949- (Speaker)Boothe, Paul (Director)Chaksam-Pa Tibetan Dance and Opera Company (Performer)Cross-Cultural Dance Resources (Sponsor)Bold Eagle, inc (Videographer)New York Public Library. Dance Collection (Sponsor)Tibet Week in Flagstaff (1995 : Flagstaff, Ariz.) (Event place)
CollectionJerome Robbins Archive of the Recorded Moving Image Original Documentation
Dates / OriginDate Created: 1995
Table of ContentsCassette 1 (ca. 45 min.). Lecture by Dr. Vasant Merchant, a professor of religion and the humanities, who discusses Tibetan symbols and metaphors in relation to religion and psychology. Topics include chants and mantras and their use in meditation; different mandalas and their significance; chakras, or psychophysical centers of the body; the symbolic meanings of various animals and objects, among them the dragon, horse, fish, bell, and lotus; and the paradoxical duality and unity of the universe. |||| Cassette 2 (ca. 53 min.). Lecture by anthropologist Marcia Calkowski, who discusses the space-time continuum in Tibetan art, including the significance of the axis mundi or cosmic tree, the multiple layers of the samsaric realms, the five colors and their correlation to the five cosmic elements of Ayurvedic thought, the importance of journeys in Tibetan opera, the significance of the khan-dro-ma or "celestial fairies," and the mandala as an organizing principle in Tibetan opera. The discussion frequently refers to the symbolism of props and scenic elements in the opera Sukyi Nima, presented during Tibet Week (for performance footage, see *MGZIC 9-5041 Sukyi Nima). |||| Lecture by Tashi Dhondup, artistic director of the Chaksam-pa Tibetan Dance and Opera Company. In this discussion of objects and movements frequently used in Tibetan opera, topics include the symbolism of the arrow, color symbolism of various masks, and some typical gestures. Tashi Dhondup also describes the casual, enjoyment-oriented attitude of spectators at operas in Tibet, which usually last for several days.
Library locationsJerome Robbins Dance DivisionShelf locator: *MGZIDF 2355Shelf locator: *MGZIC 9-5036 (former)
TopicsOpera -- China -- TibetDance -- China -- TibetBuddhismMythology, Tibetan
GenresLecturesEducational filmsFilmed dance
NotesFunding: Recording made possible by the cooperation of the participants in Tibet Week in Flagstaff, Arizona, Cross-Cultural Dance Resources, and the Jerome Robbins Archive of the Recorded Moving Image of the Dance Collection of The New York Public Library.Content: For programs and printed materials, see *MGS (Tibetan) 96-11997 Tibet Week in Flagstaff.Creation/production credits: Tibetan artifacts provided by Vasant Merchant, Kelly McCabe, and Tashi Dhondup.Venue: Videotaped at the Flagstaff City Council Chambers, Flagstaff, Arizona, on June 21, 1995, during Tibet Week, by Bold Eagle, Inc.; director, Paul Boothe.Funding: Recorded with the assistance of grants from New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.Funding: Preservation of this video was supported by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Physical DescriptionVideocassetteExtent: 2 videocassettes (Betacam SP) (98 min.) : sound, color ; 1/2 in.
DescriptionThree lectures on various aspects of Tibetan symbolism.
Type of ResourceMoving image
LanguagesEnglish
IdentifiersRLIN/OCLC: NYPY96-F381NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b12561670Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 08a0a6e0-7b89-0135-7196-0c7afd1d765a
Rights StatementThe copyright and related rights status of this item has been reviewed by The New York Public Library, but we were unable to make a conclusive determination as to the copyright status of the item. 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.
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