Seattle Center Festál: Tibet Fest, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 28, streaming on Facebook, preserves Tibetan arts and traditions and provides an opportunity for the broader public to experience this very rich and unique culture.
City of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan launches the festival with a special greeting, followed by the American and Tibetan national anthems. The festival presents dance performances by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) and a contemporary piece by a young Tibetan American choreographer Sonam Tshedzom Tingkhye. The Yakpo Collective from New York introduces an artist from its Spotlight Feature Program and Himalayan Dumplings returns to raise awareness of a lesser-known Tibetan bread.
The festival also features a documentary on the Tibetan Resettlement Project in Seattle; and an interview with Seattle Center director Robert Nellams highlights the year-round work of the Tibetan Association of Washington (TAW) and the Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) in preparing for Tibet Fest and providing community programming that promotes and preserves the Tibetan culture for future generations.
The festival showcases a variety of music, dance and art reflective of the region’s Tibetan community and the Tibetan diaspora around the world. Here is the complete program for the one-day event:
- Welcome, introductions and greetings
- Singhe (Lion) Dance, performed by Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Dharamsala, India in performances recorded for Tibet Fest.
- Dance performances by TAW and TLCS
- Mani Yiduk, performed by TLCS student musicians and singers Tibetan Drum Dance performed by Tensel Dhongthog
- Pu Yee Samling Gompa, presented by Trisong Dance Group
- Food Feature: Kyikyi from Himalayan Dumplings, from Portland, OR
- Tsang gi Ajo, performed by Kunzee, Tenzin Dargyal and Gesar
- Flute composition dedicated to Tibetan elders performed by Lobsang Gyaltsen
- Thoghang Bodkyi Gorshay performed by the Choesum Bhumo Group
- Robert Nellams interview with festival producers Tenzin Topchen, president, TAW, and Tsering Yuthok, director, TLCS Program
- Nangma Toeshey Medley with Tibetan instruments and vocals
- The Yakpo Collective Spotlight Series introducing Kelsang Jigme
- Home, contemporary dance by Sonam Tshedzom Tingkhye, a Tibetan-Scottish movement artist who integrates many passions, training disciplines, beliefs and culture into her work
- Relpa Dance performed by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Dharamsala, India
- Tibetan Resettlement Project interviews with Tsering Yuthok, Tenzin Wangyal Dhongthog and Thupten Jampa
- Thoghang Bodkyi Gorshay performed by the Trisong Dance Group
View festival program details click here.
Seattle Center Festál highlights the culturally rich communities who help shape the character and course of our region. The series, presented virtually in 2021, provides a forum for cultural groups to come together and share their stories with the greater community. The series began in 1997 to offer a central place for festivals to invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression.
Seattle Center presents Seattle Center Festál: Tibet Fest in partnership with the Tibetan Association of Washington and its volunteers. Streaming is free of charge. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal or call 206-684-7200.
About Seattle Center Festál: Seattle Center Festál, Where the World Gathers, presents 24 ethnic cultural festivals on weekends throughout the year, virtually in 2021, to connect people in ways that build understanding, dispel stereotypes and generate pride among the generations who participate in these shared experiences. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, 4Culture, the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.
