Cham Dance: Past, Present, and Future

Join us this June for a special Himalayan Heritage Meetup exploring cham, or sacred dance, traditionally practiced in Tibetan Buddhism and believed to manifest the sacred wisdom of legendary Buddhist master Padmasambhava.

Discover Padmasambhava’s magical manifestations represented in our exhibition The Second Buddha: Master of Time through a special tour by Elena Pakhoutova, curator of Himalayan art. Experience the joy and healing power of this remarkable practice that re-enacts Padmasambhava’s deeds and rituals through insights and performance by cham master Lama Ugen Rongdrol Palden, and learn the history and sacred symbolism of the sacred dance from guest speaker Karen Greenspan as she shares her research and experiences from her recent trips to Bhutan.

About the Speakers

Lama Ugen Rongdrol Palden is a cham master of Palyul Monastery. He has performed cham dances all over the world, most recently in Taiwan and Sikkim.

Karen Greenspan is a dance researcher and journalist based in New York City, who has written extensively about Bhutanese cham in Natural History Magazine, Ballet Review, and Tashi Delek Magazine.