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Tibetan Dance
At festivals and on outings in Batang and Qamdo, men and women dance face to
face in two lines and are usually directed by one person who plays a stringed
instrument made of ox horn. They dance in a circle or randomly. They sing to
each other to express their feelings. Along with the trill in their singing,
there is a kind of "trill" in their dance, most of which mimes the movements of
the peacock. The graceful movements flow naturally and are characterized by
broad, slow steps and pointing of the foot toward the ground. The dancers wave
their sleeves while turning, creating a fascinating scene of flying sleeves.
"Peacock Drinking Water" is an exhibition dance designed by Tibetans to express
their wishes for good fortune and happiness.
Qamo dance
The qamo religious dance in Tibet came into being during conflict between
Buddhism and the local Bon-po religion (the Black Sect). In the process of
localizing Buddhism, Padmasambhava from Kashmir created a kind of religious
dance to subdue the "evil spirits" in monasteries by giving the local Tibetan
dances Buddhist interpretations. This religious dance gradually became popular
as qamo, a sorcerer's dance.
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