Tibet Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary!
The Tibetan Association of Vermont hosted its 20th Annual Tibet Festival at the Old North End Community Center in Burlington, VT on Saturday November 9th. In keeping with its reputation, the Festival featured an impressive array of Tibetan cultural dances, songs, and instrumental performances, alongside a fashion show, the beloved yak and snow lion dances, tashi shoepa folk opera, and remarks from community leaders. Members of the Tibetan Association of Vermont handmade over 4,000 momos (Tibetan-style dumplings) in preparation for the event.
Migmar Tsering, longtime friend, partner, and Vermont Folklife board member, served as MC and DJ for the event, while also providing much of the live instrumental accompaniment (flute, percussion, dranyen, and more). Migmar began teaching Tibetan cultural practices to young Tibetan Americans soon after he moved to Vermont in 2011. He felt a strong sense of responsibility to “remind ourselves that we are Tibetan” upon resettling in the United States, and decided to do something about it. Since 2013, Migmar has been a master artist in VT Folklife’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, teaching Tibetan dances, songs, and dranyen (a popular Tibetan stringed instrument) to new generations of Tibetan Americans. In 2016 he established Rolyang Lobling, a formal school of Tibetan performing arts. Over the years, funds from VT Folklife’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program have supported the purchase of more than 20 dranyens, and a variety of cultural dresses and clothing that correspond to and represent dances and other traditions from specific regions of Tibet.
Members of Rolyang Lobling perform on the Dranyen
One of the most important aspects of the work we do and have done at VT Folklife over the past 40 years is to challenge assumptions about what it means to be a Vermonter. One of our priorities since the refugee resettlement program started in early ‘90s has been to support and document the cultural practices and lived experiences of Vermonters from immigrant and refugee backgrounds—securing rehearsal spaces for a youth Bosnian folk dance group; finding cow hides for a Somali Bantu instrument maker; and providing resources to support Migmar to commission traditional Tibetan dresses for the dance group.
We know and have seen, time after time, that when individuals and communities that are new to Vermont have opportunities and resources to continue the cultural practices that are important to them—and in many ways shape their identities—it positively impacts the health and wellbeing of those communities, and by extension, the entire state.
Every time anyone on VT Folklife staff has the privilege to spend time with Migmar, they learn something new, whether about how he sees the world, how to treat others, or how to fit just a bit more joy into the day.
Vermont Folklife is deeply grateful to Migmar for his partnership, support, and friendship over these years. We congratulate him, the young students of Rolyang Lobling, adult dancers, and all who had a part in building such an informative and joyful festival that acknowledges the breadth and depth of Tibetan culture and identity. Tashi Delek!
