THE TIBETAN MUSIC, DANCE AND DRAMA SOCIETY(TMDDS)

This society is the leading professional body in the exiled Tibetan community that keeps alive, in letter and in spirit, the rich folk culture of the Tibetan people through its performance of traditional folk song, dance and opera. Tibetan dramatic arts are unique, renowned principally for the masked dances-which in the old days were performed exclusively by monks-and for the lengthy and powerfully dramatic operas. All is colorful, eastern and exotic, based on traditional formats and accompanied by Tibetan musical instruments, the flute and bagpipes, drum, clashing cymbals and resonant long horn.

The essence is what the TMDDS aims to keep alive in the face of the destruction of Tibetan alive in the face of the destruction of Tibetan tradition and culture under the Chinese rule in Tibet itself. The troupe performs regularly in the settlements as well as seeking a wider audience through foreign tours. Two such tours were undertaken in 1975 and 1976, covering Europe, North America, Australia and Singapore, earning the Society an international reputation for high quality performance and a place as special Guest Appearance at 1976 Adelaide Arts Festival.

The TMDDS comes under the administration of this council, and through it we train teachers of Tibetan music and dance/drama, who are then deputed to the schools to instruct and preserve this important part of our culture for the younger generations. The council also contributes a small salaries of the TMDDS, though we have been unable to spare as much money as we would like. The troupe has always suffered from an acute shortage of funds, as its function in our community has been to preserve the dramatic art forms for the Tibetan people themselves, rather than join the international circuit of performing artistes with a high earning power. Therefore it is always in need of more help and the fact that it has not only survived but flourished is due to generosity of its friends and to the dedication of its members.

The society currently has forty four artistes, five teachers and three office staff. The repertoire consists of four folk dance programs, two historical plays, four complete operas, four contemporary plays and several monastic dances. With every year that passes, the troupe continues to build upon this repertoire while aiming to perfect its standard of professionalism in all aspects of the show.