Exploring Bhutan’s Cultural Side: When dance steps beyond movement

Whirling feet and body to the sound of drums and singing, the performers take on the roles of both enraged and kindhearted deities, demons, and animals. While different, the Bhutanese dances, called chams, are as flamboyant and riveting as their Western and Latino ballroom counterparts. For five days, Buddhist monks wear colourful costumes and masks when performing the centuries-old mystical routines.

The masks are typically made of hardwood and painted mostly red with traces of yellow, blue, white, and black. The Mahakala mask, for example, features five skulls, a third eye symbolising awareness and wisdom, and an open mouth with teeth carved out. The masked dancers mostly look through the nostrils of the large, upwardly curved nose.

One of the sacred chams without a mask is the Black Hat dance. It chronicles the tale of the assassination of King Langdarma in the year 842 AD by a monk who hid his bow and arrows in the voluminous sleeves of his garment. The dancers are dressed in long silk robes, which are tied around the hip and whirl elegantly when the performers present spinning moves. The gowns are made of different colours of silk brocade and covered by a dark apron with a wrathful face on it.

Since the 17th century, these vibrant dance spectacles occur every year. In 2020, the largest of it all, the Paro Tshechu, takes place from 4–8 April. Get your dance card out and your move on! No matter if you’re a regular traveller or a cultural explorer, Bhutan is requesting to have the pleasure of the next dance.