The Cham Dance, associated with some sects of Buddhism, is a lively dance which employs dancers wearing masks and ornamented costumes . The dance is accompanied by music played by monks using traditional Tibetan instruments. The dances often offer moral instruction relating to compassion for sentient beings and are held to bring merit to all who perceive them. This picture is of a Black Hat Dance (shana) which is not generally considered a cham dance. Examples of chams, masked dances, can be seen at