The semi-final round of the Vietnamese version of American reality dancing show "So You Think You Can Dance", open to all amateur and professional dancers aged 16 to 30, will be broadcast on five TV channels nationwide every Saturday night from September 15. The show which will be on the channels of HTV7, DRT, CVTV1, HN2 and YanTV will showcase performances of 109 best contestants chosen from 2,900 participants at the nationwide qualifier round during the last three months. At the semi-final round, contestants have to perform individually, in pairs and groups and then have to explain why they choose that kind of dance. As Jeff Thacker, co-producer of the American version said, there’s no specific requirement, no boundaries and no limit on the style of dance including hip-hop, contemporary, ballet, or jazz. The show has opened a playground for all Vietnamese youths who have passion in dancing. "When I’m on stage and dance for my performance, I know I make a right choice. … [Read more...] about ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, local version, on air tonight
Lovely dance
Love in the time of tourists: courtship changes in remote Vietnam
Dating is never easy but finding the perfect partner when you live in a tiny, remote village in the Vietnamese mountains is almost impossible. The solution? A love market. For generations, young people from the patchwork of ethnic minority groups in northern Vietnam have gone to the local town of Sapa on a Saturday night to find their future spouse. "It was so exciting. I wanted to see if I would meet any nice girls," traditional Hmong musician Giang A Vang, 50, said of his first visit to the love market three decades ago. One girl in particular stood out from the crowd. "When I saw her for the first time I was playing my violin. I asked her if she liked it, if she liked me. I was a little nervous," he said. Fortunately, his affections were returned. For the next few weeks, he came back to the market to meet his sweetheart Vang Thi Xo and play music together as part of a Hmong courtship ritual -- him on a traditional violin and she playing a leaf. The pair soon married and … [Read more...] about Love in the time of tourists: courtship changes in remote Vietnam
Special dances
Whenever they are performing on stage, the eye glints of the little actors and actresses- the handicapped pupils at Niem Vui school, headed towards, not the audiences, but the first people on the first bench. They are the teachers, - special "dance composers", helping the little actors and actresses finish their performance as right to the music, to the right movement… Pupils at Niem Vui school are singing the Nationanl Anthemn with signal language. The hard-of-hearing pupils of Niem Vui school have their own particular way to salute the flag on the first day of the week. Instead of singing out loud the mighty words in the National Anthemn, 116 pupils of the school headed towards the National Flag with their own language: signal language. Without music, no words are heard. Teacher Tran Thi Tuyet Duong, the vice principal, stands on the flag platform, in the same direction of the pupils standing in line. Teacher Duong acts as a conductor, and below her, the … [Read more...] about Special dances
Dance! Heals the body and the soul
Jazzed: Public places, like the areas near Hoan Kiem Lake, are an ideal place for women to practise aerobics. — VNS Photo Truong Vi Free as a bird: Many young people love dancing because it helps them communicate. — VNS Photo Viet Thanh At 5.30am, when the sun rises over the trees at the corner of Tuoi Tre (Youth) Park in Ha Noi, members of the Binh Minh dancing club begin to practise their first steps to the beat of Tango music. At 6am, the yard is overcrowded with about 40 dancers of all ages. Although they are not professional dancers, as you watch them move, you can see their passion infuse each step. The head of the club, Le Thi Minh, says the dancing class was established four years ago. "Members come from a variety of backgrounds. There are people of working age and retired residents. We practise both classical dance and gymnastics, and we use soft and mild movements, which are suitable for elders," she says. Le Van Truong, 78, who has been a member of the club … [Read more...] about Dance! Heals the body and the soul
Ha Noi celebrates dance in first international salsa festival
More than 100 salsa dancers from around the world gathered in Hanoi on the night of July 30 to join the country’s first international festival dedicated to this increasingly popular Latin dance. The three-day festival called Linline Salsa Holidays Hanoi 2009 aims to bring world-class talent to train Vietnamese salsa dancers and increase excitement for the dance locally. “This Latin dancing style has been in Vietnam for a few years, and it has became a joy for the ones who love dancing. This dancing environment is improved by the increasing number of people learning salsa. Our purpose is to bring a chance for Vietnamese salsa addicts to learn more about the Latin dance, as well as to improve their dancing skill,” said Nguyen Duc Tung from Apsara Dance Studio, one of the event organisers. Vietnamese salsa fans will have a chance to witness the amazing dancing steps of three famous dancers including Gupson Pierre from Canada, Sharon Parkir from Australia, and Tommy … [Read more...] about Ha Noi celebrates dance in first international salsa festival