The Chaksampa Tibetan Dance and Opera Company, whose mission is to preserve the original art form of their country, will perform at Denison University at 8 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 24) in Swasey Chapel. The program, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Lilly Artist Series at Denison.

Chaksampa, formed in 1989, springs from the Tibetan Music, Dance and Drama Society based in Dharamsala, India. The Society was created in 1959 by the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, as a response to the Chinese takeover of the country in 1959. Exiled Tibetans accuse the Chinese of promulgating their own propaganda through traditional Tibetan art forms, including dance and opera. Chaksampa was organized as a means of preserving the original dance art form, including genuine headdresses and handmade instruments.

Chaksampa's mission is to offer performances reflecting the highest standard in Tibetan drama, music and dance and to foster appreciation of their native culture and awareness of its threatened survival. They hope to establish a Tibetan Performing Arts and Cultural Center in San Francisco.

The Lilly Artist Series, a collaboration of the Denison department of music and Denison's Lilly Grant Committee, features musical artists from many different backgrounds and cultural traditions. The series presents artists whose life's work reflects a passionate commitment to their musical art and the culture out of which that music grows.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- Concert by Chaksampa Tibetan Dance and Opera Company; 8 p.m., Saturday (Sept. 24), Swasey Chapel (200 Chapel Road). Free and open to the public. Contact 740-587-5727 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575