‘Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music Sacred Dance’ comes to the Ford Center Nov. 20. Photo courtesy Drepung Loseling Monastery
OXFORD, Miss. – The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts will host a remarkable performance of “The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music, Sacred Dance” on Thursday (Nov. 20).
The show features Drepung Loseling monks dressed in magnificent costumes and performing traditional Tibetan temple music and dancing. The pieces performed by the monks are believed to create energy that promotes world healing. Audience members will travel through time as the chanting and rituals provide a hauntingly beautiful experience.
General admission tickets to the performance are $30 and are available at the UM Box Office inside the Student Union.
“It’s an entertaining way to learn about the Tibetan monks’ culture,” said Kate Meacham, Ford Center marketing director. “The songs and dances of the performance and sand mandala have been part of the monks’ traditions for more than 1,000 years.”
The group performs worldwide and has been featured on the Golden Globe-nominated soundtrack for the film “Seven Years in Tibet,” starring Brad Pitt.
But there’s more than just the performance. The spiritual leaders of the monastery are creating a colored sand painting, known as one of the most unique and exquisite forms of art in Tantric Buddhism, this week in the Ole Miss Student Union.
“The monks’ visit gives us a glimpse into their culture,” Meacham said. “The skill and patience needed to place the grains of sand in the sand mandala is truly amazing. The performance presents a taste of their rituals in an enjoyable and sometimes moving way.”
The Ford Center is also housing an exhibit of photographs titled “Tibet: Magical Land of Spiritual Wonders” through Nov. 25.