After 11 years of training and competing, Gia Bao and Gia Linh won more than 1,000 medals and 200 championship cups in domestic and international dance competitions.
Hoang Gia Bao, class 11G, Marie Curie School, and his twin sister Hoang Gia Linh, class 11 majoring in History, School of Social Sciences and Humanities - Hanoi National University, became known to many people when they won the runner-up position in the Vietnam's Got Talent contest 8 years ago.
Currently both are athletes under the management of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports.
Gia Bao and Gia Linh compete at the National Sports Festival in December 2022. Video: Provided by the character
Gia Bao and Gia Linh started dancing at the age of 5. At that time, Bao suffered from bronchial spasms, while Linh watched too much on the phone and TV. Living near the Cau Giay District Cultural House, the two siblings were sent by their mother to practice sports to improve their health and reduce the use of electronic devices. After a few dance practice sessions, the teacher assessed that both of them had talent and convinced their family to let them pursue this sport.
"The more we practiced, the more we showed our abilities, and our health improved, so we decided to study in depth," Bao recalled. As for Linh, her brother's recovery from illness was the motivation for her to pursue professional dancesport.
At this time, the two brothers also entered first grade. Bao and Linh both studied and practiced dancing every day. Between their classes and club practice, they both took advantage of doing homework and performing to gain experience and participate in competitions. When they were 12-13 years old, they participated in dozens of competitions every year. Because they missed a lot of school, the teacher sometimes had to stay late to help Bao and Linh consolidate their knowledge.
Currently, Bao and Linh only participate in three national competitions a year, including the Sports Dance Club Championship, the Youth Championship, and the National Championship, along with 1-2 major international competitions. However, the frequency of training has not decreased.
Every day, the twins go to practice in the morning, go to school in the afternoon, and continue practicing or taking extra classes in the evening. While Gia Bao attends a private school, has little homework and can rest on late practice days, Gia Linh often stays up late to study.
"Studying at a specialized school, the workload is heavier, there are days when I stay up until one or two in the morning to finish, then the next day I still go to dance practice as usual," Linh shared. Although she and her brother work harder than their peers, with almost no free time, Linh is still happy because she can arrange to both study and pursue her passion.
"I'm used to that intensity so I can still balance it out," Linh said.
Bao also admitted that "being busy has become a habit, so sometimes when I have free time, my sister and I go to the gym to practice by ourselves because staying at home is very boring."
Bao and Linh compete at the Ho Chi Minh City Open Sports Dance Tournament - Grace Dance Cup 2023. Photo: Character provided
After more than 11 years of training and competing, Bao said dislocations, sprains, and limbs hitting the floor were "inevitable", but fortunately neither of them had suffered any serious injuries.
Bao also feels lucky that his dancing partner is a twin, they understand each other very well, which is an advantage in pair competitions.
"Just one person needs to give a small signal for the other person to understand what to do next. Perhaps thanks to that, our dance has been highly appreciated by the judges many times," the male student shared.
Dancesport has a total of 10 dances in Latin and Standard. Bao and Linh practice and compete in all of them. Dancesport grandmaster Nguyen Chi Anh, Gia Bao and Gia Linh's dance teacher since 2020, assessed that the two brothers are very talented and good at both. This is an advantage if both of them aim to become international coaches or referees in the future.
Teacher Chi Anh was also impressed by the quiet but lovable and sociable demeanor of the two brothers. "The two of you have real passion, the ability to learn very quickly, and practice on your own," said teacher Chi Anh, believing that this dancing couple possesses all the qualities that a top dancing couple needs.
Gia Bao and Gia Linh took a souvenir photo in Ninh Binh while filming the Spring Dance program at the end of 2022. Photo: Character provided
Competing in hundreds of domestic and international tournaments, Bao and Linh have many interesting stories surrounding them. For Bao, the King's Cup 2018 held in Thailand was the most memorable.
"At the award ceremony, the athletes lined up to wait to be called up, but no one knew the result in advance. When there was only my team and the Hong Kong team left for the highest prize, I thought I had lost because I had lost to this pair in the previous round. I was about to hold my sister's hand to go up on stage when the MC called the other team. I was surprised, not believing that I had defeated a better opponent than me," Bao recalled. The male student said that this was the fun of sports, helping athletes maintain their motivation to compete.
As for Linh, winning the World DanceSport Federation's youth championship in October 2022 is an important milestone, helping her regain her confidence after a series of stressful days because of her weight.
Linh said that before, her figure was very stable. But during puberty, her height did not increase while her weight increased a lot, affecting her strength and grace when competing. She is currently 1m55 tall and weighs 45 kg.
"I need to lose about 4 more kilos to dress nicely and move more gracefully," Linh said.
Bao and Linh in the 2023 National Sports Dance Club Championship. Photo: Character provided
Despite their busy training, Gia Bao and Gia Linh still achieved the title of excellent students at school. Studying in two different environments, the school created conditions for them to pursue their passion. Whenever they had to miss school to compete, teachers would send them homework, teach them to make up for it, or ask their friends to guide them again.
Currently, Gia Bao also teaches dancesport to children at an art center in Bac Tu Liem district. He hopes to become a professional international coach or referee. To achieve this, Bao said he still maintains his training and competition, while improving his English skills.
Meanwhile, Gia Linh has identified dancesport as a side job. She is researching to choose a suitable career, where she can both work and practice this sport.
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