Sacred Buddhist Dance

Sacred Buddhist Dance explores the cham dance, a sacred Tibetan ritual performed by mask wearing monks.

Post-screening discussion moderated by Natasha Kimmet.

Part of Benoy K. Behl’s “Spectacular India Series,” Sacred Buddhist Dance examines the elaborate cham dances staged annually in the monastery of the isolated region of Ladakh. Through the use of masks, these monks are able to spiritually transform into the deities they worship, which allows them to defy evil and bless the land.

About the Speaker

Natasha Kimmet is the Curatorial Fellow at the Rubin Museum. In this role she is gaining insight into the work of museum curators and conducting research on the Rubin’s collections and related art objects. Natasha developed an interest in Asian art and architecture while pursuing her BA at Bates College, partly inspired by two study abroad experiences – one in Japan, the other in the Himalayas. After college, she worked at art galleries in New York for two years and as a volunteer at the Rubin Museum before moving to London to complete an MA in the History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Natasha’s enthusiasm for Tibetan and Himalayan art and culture next led her to Vienna for a PhD program. She is currently in the process of writing her dissertation about vernacular architecture traditions in the western Himalayas based on her field research in northern India and Nepal.