DONG HO BALLET DANCE - FOLK PAINTING PAINTED BY BALLET BREATH

With the goal of bringing academic art in general and ballet in particular closer to the Vietnamese public, Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) and partners such as Thanh Productions continue to launch new ballet art lovers named "Dong Ho" with the outstanding ability of British Vietnamese choreographer,  Nguyen Ngoc Anh, at Hanoi Opera House on the night of March 22 and 23.

Dong Ho ballet dancer | source: VNOB

"Dong Ho" / "Give and Receive" is built with a series of paintings such as "Coconut Catch"; "The Rat Wedding"; "Jealousy"; "Honoring the Ancestors"; "Li Yue Yue" ... painted in the World Classical Ballet. That is the uniqueness of Dong Ho when the tradition of folk painting combines with classical & contemporary art of the world.

Dong Ho paintings, with their unique cultural values, have been recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and become the inspiration to create many unique and impressive products in many fields such as fashion, painting, music,... However, Dong Ho paintings are rarely used as a medium for creation through art forms such as contemporary dance, ballet, classical music,... This is also the reason why choreographer Nguyen Ngoc Anh brought the idea of painting Dong Ho with the flexible dance of hard-toed shoes through the soft, elegant and noble movements of ballet artists.

Talking about this work, Ngoc Anh shared: "I really want to bring to Dong Ho a new soul, with new drawings, not only wooden molds, or costume designs, but with the sharp "pen" created by the hard toe shoes of the ballerina. On the other hand, although I live abroad, my soul is still Vietnamese, still want to bring Vietnamese soul to foreign classical art, make the public both come to new horizons of art while still retaining the pride of national traditional culture."

The work leads the viewer to a simple sophistication that is conveyed in an abstract and perceptual way. The message "Give and Take" throughout the dance is a close connection based on the human values of Vietnamese people.

In addition, Dong Ho also skillfully blends the cultural images and quintessence of the homeland of Vietnam with world academic music through "Four Seasons - New For Seasons", a symphony composed by contemporary classical composer Max Richter from the original of the same name by Antonio Vivaldi - one of the greatest Baroque composers of world.

Talking about the idea of bringing Dong Ho to the Ballet stage, Mr. Phan Manh Duc, Director of VNOB, said: "Still following the principle of the Theater is to bring academic art in general and Ballet in particular closer to the Vietnamese public, VNOB decided to build Dong Ho with the desire to connect more,  further renew the connection between traditional painting art and world classical ballet. So that dance lovers no longer feel the remoteness of traditional folk art, which has been and is evident in every classical ballet of the West."

To help the audience have a closer look at the Dong Ho Ballet, Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, with the companion of Thanh Productions, also created a Dong Ho Painting Gallery with the participation of artisans from Dong Ho painting village at the reception hall of Hanoi Opera House. The audience will have the opportunity to learn the materials, the process of making a painting and directly participate in creating their own Dong Ho painting.

Another unique feature of the Dong Ho Ballet lies in the rustic design of the costumes and stage. This rustic event contributes to pushing mapping technology with a modern projector system from CETECH Investment Joint Stock Company that will stimulate all senses of the audience, creating a luxurious but equally close and familiar art space of Hanoi Opera House.

Dong Ho photoshoot | source: VNOB

Choreographer Nguyen Ngoc Anh

Nguyen Ngoc Anh is Vietnam's elite artistic talent. He is known to art lovers at home and abroad, critics and professional analysts for his many highly appreciated works. He graduated laude from Vietnam College of Dance and received a full scholarship from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Currently, Ngoc Anh is working and working at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

Choreographer Nguyen Ngoc Anh | source: VNOB

"Dong Ho" is one of the unique works created and staged by Nguyen Ngoc Anh. He expresses his feelings about the painting art of Dong Ho paintings through each dance performance in the work. Ngoc Anh does not focus on detailed storytelling, but leads viewers towards a simple sophistication that is conveyed in an abstract and more sensory way.

Dong Ho Artists

1) Meritorious Artist Mai Nhu Quynh: Dancer Nhu Quynh graduated in Ballet from Vietnam College of Dance. Since 2003, she has been a dancer at the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet. She has starred in many productions such as: Sparta, Giselle, La Syphide, Chopin, The Nutcracker, Citadel Love, School, Laventana, Absent-minded People, Firebird, Swan Lake,... She was awarded the title of NRL in 2019. In 2008, she won the Gold Medal of the National Professional Arts Festival. In 2010, the Vietnam Association of Dance Artists awarded Nhu Quynh the Certificate of Merit "Artist with many achievements in artistic activities". In 2014, she won the Gold Medal at the International Dance Festival in Hue with "Firefly Season"; 2105: Special prize of the National Professional Music and Dance Festival with "Vo Thi Sau" and "Co Sao"; 2016: Silver Prize of the Pyongyang Spring Festival in North Korea for the dance performance "Fun to be in season".

Meritorious artist Mai Nhu Quynh (middle) | source: VNOB

2) Meritorious Artist Phan Luong: Dancer Phan Luong is an elite graduate student at Vietnam College of Dance. He won a scholarship and became a student at the Hong Kong Academy of Arts. In 2006, he received another scholarship and studied at Alvin Aley School, USA. In 2010, he studied at the Military University of Arts and Culture. He starred in a number of Vietnamese dance productions such as: Citadel Love Affair, Quan Am Thi Glass, Truong Chi, Red Farewell, Source of Light, Immortal Moment... In addition, he also took on the main and secondary roles of many foreign dances, typically: Giselle, Carmen, Swan Lake, Cpatacus, Nutcracker,... In addition to ballet, he also made important contributions in contemporary works such as: Black Silk, Lighting, Venus, Silk Heart, Absent-minded Man, Bamboo Rain, Longly Quy Phuong, Garden of Eden, Minus Sign, Death and Girl, Moment, Firefly Season... From 2012 to 2012, Phan Luong was Vietnam's representative at the Asian Dance Festival from 2012 to 2015. In 2014, he was the only representative of Vietnam as a member of the Asian Dance Troupe established by the Asian Dance Association. In 2016, he was awarded the title of NHS. Currently, he is the Head of the Dance Troupe of Vietnam National Opera and Ballet.

Meritorious artist Phan Luong | source: VNOB

3) Meritorious Artist Bui Viet An: Dancer Viet An graduated laude from the Military University of Culture and Arts. Since then, she has worked at the dance troupe of Vietnam National Opera and Ballet. Currently, besides performing work, she is majoring in Dance Training at the Military University of Arts and Culture. She is the National Representative of 2 Cultural Congresses of French-speaking countries in Lebanon 2009 and Ivory Coast 2017. In 2019, Viet An was awarded the status of NSUT by the State. She has taken on the main roles of many famous dance works of Vietnam and abroad, such as: "Sacred Spring", "Death and Girl", "Nutcracker", "Giselle" ,... In addition, she also participated in major opera works, such as: "Miss Star", "Red Leaf", "The One Who Walked Through the Valley",...

Meritorious artist Bui Viet An | source: VNOB

4) Youth Artist: In addition to the famous and experienced elite artists, there are talented young artists such as Thu Hang, Duc Hieu, Le Thanh ,... Each artist, each actor has his or her own personality and charisma, all contributing to a quality work of art - worth watching and full of emotion.

Youth Artists Đuc Hieu - Thu Hang | source: VNOB

Document:

+ Video trailer: https://youtu.be/5IiHylpVanQ

+ Photoshoot: https://bit.ly/vukichdongho

+ Landing Page: https://bit.ly/BalletDongHo

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Nguyen Tuyet Hoa

In charge of Communication - Marketing of Vietnam National Opera and Ballet

Tel: 0913056462

Email: vnob.fr@gmail.com

Website: http://nhahatnhacvukichvietnam.com

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