University of Chicago students and members of the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago dance gorshey
On December 9, 2025, Lara Safinaz Balikci, PhD student and Neubauer Distinguished Family Distinguished Doctoral Fellow, welcomed guests from the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago to Fulton Hall for an evening of Tibetan circle-dancing, known as gorshey.
The event began with a ceremonial operatic song sung by Tenzin Palmo, graduate student in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and opening remarks by Anna Schultz, Professor of Music and the Humanities and Department Chair, and Karma Ngodup, Instructional Professor in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations.
The evening celebrated the resilience of Tibetan culture and the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago’s ongoing collaboration on Tibetan circle-dancing with Lara. She started learning the art form this past summer with the dance troupe Bhayul Kordoling in Kathmandu, Nepal, while studying classical Tibetan at the Rangyung Yeshe Institute.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue dancing under the tutelage of Tenchoe Sakya at the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago and to be able to welcome her and other dancers to the University of Chicago,” said Lara.
