Tibet, the ridge of the world, is also famously known as the "Ocean of Songs and Dances." Nearly every Tibetan can sing and dance. They sing anytime for any event and dance at festivals, weddings, and gatherings as well as during their spare time. A history of over several thousand years has witnessed the development of many kinds of folk dances in Tibet, including the religious dance called "Qamo."

The areas inhabited by Tibetans boast a great diversity of folk songs and dances. Here, you will be introduced to some of the major dances popular with Tibetans:

 Guoxie dance

Guoxie (meaning "village" in Tibetan) is a group dance popular in rural areas of Tibet. The participants dance hand in hand and sing in rotation. The dance is often seen in villages and on open squares and threshing grounds. The dancers mark the rhythm by stamping their feet.

At festivals men and women stand hand in hand in two lines around a big vat of highland-barley wine placed on open ground. The two groups first sing and walk from left to right in a circle. When they finish singing, the xieben, or organizer of the dance, leads in shouting, "Xiu, xiu, xiu, xiu," and starts the dance with rhythmic steps. This rhythmic shouting is called xiege in Tibetan, or "beginning of the song," which is followed closely by quick-tempo singing and dancing.