Royal Academy of Performing Arts

The Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA; Dzongkha: རྒྱལ་གཞུང་སྒྱུ་རྩལ་སློབ་གྲྭ) is the national institution of Bhutan responsible for the preservation, training, and performance of the country's traditional performing arts, including sacred masked dance (cham), folk dance, traditional music, and dramatic recitation. Located in the capital city of Thimphu, RAPA serves as both a training academy for young performers and the principal performing ensemble for state ceremonies, national celebrations, and the annual tshechu festivals held at dzongs and monasteries across the country.^[1]

RAPA occupies a unique position in Bhutanese cultural life. In a country where performing arts are inseparable from religious practice and national identity, the institution ensures that the dances, melodies, and dramatic traditions handed down over centuries continue to be performed with authenticity and skill. Its performers are among the most highly trained traditional artists in the Himalayan world, and its repertoire encompasses some of the oldest continuously performed dance traditions in Asia.

History and Establishment

RAPA was founded in 1954 and formally institutionalised as an academy in 1967 by the Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, who recognized that Bhutan's rapid modernization — the country did not have roads, hospitals, or schools in the modern sense until the 1960s — posed a threat to the traditional performing arts. Before RAPA's founding, the performing arts were maintained primarily within the monastic system, where monks learned sacred dances as part of their religious training, and in rural communities, where folk dances and songs were transmitted informally from generation to generation.^[1]

The Third King's vision was to create a secular institution that could preserve the full range of Bhutanese performing arts — sacred and secular alike — while providing professional training and ensuring that these traditions would survive the social changes accompanying modernization. The academy was initially small, with a handful of instructors and students, but it has grown over the decades into a substantial institution with dozens of trained performers and musicians.

Under the Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, RAPA's role was expanded and its facilities improved. The academy became the official performing body for state occasions and diplomatic events, bringing Bhutanese performing arts to international audiences. RAPA troupes have performed in India, Japan, the United States, Europe, and other countries, serving as cultural ambassadors for Bhutan.

Sacred Dance (Cham)

The core of RAPA's repertoire is cham — the masked sacred dances that are the centerpiece of Bhutan's tshechu festivals. These dances, believed to have been introduced to Bhutan by the eighth-century Indian saint Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) and elaborated by subsequent Buddhist masters, are not mere performances but are understood as acts of spiritual power that purify the environment, subdue evil forces, and bestow blessings upon spectators.^[2]

Among the most important cham dances in RAPA's repertoire are:

• Sha-na (Black Hat Dance): Performed by dancers wearing broad-brimmed black hats and richly embroidered robes, this dance reenacts the assassination of the anti-Buddhist Tibetan king Lang Darma by the monk Pelgyi Dorji in the ninth century. The dance is understood as symbolizing the triumph of Buddhism over forces of ignorance and malice.
• Ging-dang Tsholing (Dance of the Ging and Tsholing): Dancers wearing fearsome masks of wrathful deities and animal-headed protectors drive away malevolent spirits and purify the festival ground. This dance is often one of the most dramatic and visually spectacular of the tshechu.
• Pholay Molay (Dance of the Noblemen and Ladies): A courtly dance depicting the reception of Guru Rinpoche by the king and queen of Bumthang, reenacting the saint's arrival in central Bhutan. The dance is notable for its elegance and its historical narrative content.
• Raksha Mangcham (Dance of the Judgment of the Dead): An elaborate dramatic dance depicting the judgment of a sinner and a virtuous man by Shinje Chhoeki Gyelpo (Yama, the Lord of Death). This dance, which can last several hours, has a didactic purpose, illustrating the Buddhist doctrine of karma and the consequences of moral and immoral action.
• Dramnyen Cham (Dance of the Dramyin): A dance accompanied by the dramyin (Bhutanese lute), combining music and movement in celebration of Guru Rinpoche's teachings.

Folk Dance and Music

In addition to sacred cham, RAPA preserves and performs a wide repertoire of secular folk dances and songs from across Bhutan's diverse regions. These include:

• Zhungdra: The classical court songs of Bhutan, characterized by slow, stately melodies and lyrics drawn from Buddhist philosophy and romantic poetry. Zhungdra performances are accompanied by the dramyin (lute) and chiwang (fiddle).
• Boedra: Folk songs with simpler melodies and livelier rhythms than zhungdra, often accompanied by dance. Boedra songs celebrate harvests, seasons, love, and the beauty of the Bhutanese landscape.
• Auley: A call-and-response folk dance form from eastern Bhutan, performed in a circle or line. Auley is one of the most popular social dances and is performed at festivals, weddings, and community gatherings.

The traditional musical instruments preserved and taught at RAPA include the dramyin (a long-necked lute carved from a single piece of wood), the chiwang (a two-stringed fiddle), the lingm (a flute), and various percussion instruments including drums, cymbals, and bells used in both religious and secular contexts.^[3]

Training and Curriculum

Students at RAPA undergo rigorous training in dance, music, and the cultural and religious knowledge that underpins the performing arts. The training program lasts several years and includes:

• Physical conditioning and dance technique, including the demanding stamina required for cham performances that can last hours
• Mask and costume familiarization — performers must learn to dance in heavy wooden masks that severely restrict vision and breathing
• Musical instrument instruction across multiple traditional instruments
• Study of the religious texts and narratives that provide the context for sacred dances
• Training in the preparation and maintenance of masks, costumes, and musical instruments

Students are typically recruited as children or teenagers and receive both performing arts training and general education. Graduates who demonstrate exceptional talent may remain at RAPA as instructors and senior performers; others take their skills to monasteries, schools, and community organizations across the country.

Role in Tshechu Festivals

RAPA performers are central to the annual tshechu festivals held at dzongs and monasteries throughout Bhutan. These multi-day religious festivals, which draw entire communities, feature cycles of cham dances, folk performances, and the dramatic unfurling of giant religious paintings (thongdrel). While many dzongs and monasteries maintain their own dance troupes — often composed of monks who have trained in the monastic tradition — RAPA performers participate in the most important festivals, including the Thimphu Tshechu and Paro Tshechu, which attract both Bhutanese citizens and international visitors.^[4]

International Engagement

RAPA has served as Bhutan's principal cultural ambassador on the international stage. The academy's troupe has performed at cultural festivals, diplomatic events, and academic conferences in countries including India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Thailand, and Singapore. These performances have introduced global audiences to Bhutanese performing arts and have contributed to the growing international awareness of Bhutan's cultural heritage.

Challenges and Future

RAPA faces several ongoing challenges. The appeal of modern entertainment — popular music, film, and social media — competes for the attention of young Bhutanese who might otherwise pursue traditional performing arts. The religious dimension of cham dance, which requires performers to approach their art as a spiritual practice rather than mere entertainment, can be difficult to maintain in an increasingly secular and commercialized context. Funding constraints limit the institution's ability to expand its programs and improve its facilities.

Despite these challenges, RAPA remains vital to the preservation of Bhutanese cultural identity. The Bhutanese government, under the rubric of Gross National Happiness, considers the preservation of traditional culture to be a national priority, and RAPA's work is supported as an essential component of this mission. As Bhutan continues to navigate the tensions between modernization and cultural preservation, RAPA stands as a living link between the country's rich artistic heritage and its future.

References

1. "Royal Academy of Performing Arts (Bhutan)." Wikipedia.
2. "Cham dance." Wikipedia.
3. "Centre for Bhutan Studies and GNH Research."
4. "Tshechu." Wikipedia.