Phan Hien's perfect dance partner

Dancesport champion Dang Thu Huong, winner of the bronze medal at the 2025 World Showdance Latin Championship (with her dance partner Phan Hien), hopes to reach the top 24 in the world before retiring at the end of 2026.

After winning Vietnam's first bronze medal at the World Showdance Latin 2025 (to be held in the US in September 2025), the female champion, who boasts the most impressive medal collection in Vietnamese dancesport, recently teamed up with Phan Hien to dominate the national championship, achieving an absolute victory: a gold medal in the solo Samba and a gold medal in the all-around Latin 5 dances. Almost without rest, Thu Huong then traveled to Poland for training to prepare for the next competition.

" DANCESPORT VN IS NO LONGER LOOKED DOWN UPON"

The female dancesport champion shared that her career can be divided into two stages: before and after having Phan Hien as her dance partner. "Previously, my former dance partner (who is also Thu Huong's ex-husband - PV) and I always finished second and third in the national championships, and never participated in Asian-level competitions. But since Phan Hien and I became dance partners, we have consistently held the Southeast Asian championship title, ranked second in Asia, and even made it into the top 40 on the 2025 global rankings of the World Dancesport Federation (WDSF). Vietnamese dancesport had never even qualified for the world championships, but now we've reached the quarterfinals, and in some competitions, even the semifinals, most notably the bronze medal at the recent World Showdance Latin 2025…," Thu Huong proudly stated.

Thu Huong and Phan Hien excellently won the bronze medal at the world championship.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE SUBJECT

And they also excelled in the domestic league.

Photo: Provided by the interviewee

The dance duo achieved many great accomplishments.

Thu Huong, Phan Hien, and coach Khanh Thi share a common dream: to reach the top 24 in the world before retirement. "It's truly a fierce race, one that can only be conquered through years of competition and willpower. A record that no Southeast Asian athlete has yet achieved. We want to create a new milestone for Vietnamese dancesport and our own careers. I always want to step out of my comfort zone. First and foremost, through self-confidence and utmost effort. Secondly, through boundless faith in my two close partners, Khanh Thi and Phan Hien. I always feel the burning determination in their hearts, with their intense love for Vietnamese dancesport," she confided.

"Previously, when competing on international stages, Vietnamese representatives were often looked down upon by world champions, both literally and figuratively. Our mission was to change that perspective, and we succeeded," proudly stated the man who brought Vietnamese dancesport to the world stage.

" CONNECT WITH YOUR INNER SELF"

Thu Huong shared very honestly about her journey of "feminizing" herself after many years of dedication to her profession and the ups and downs in her personal life.

Coach Khanh Thi and Thu Huong (left)

Speaking of the golden couple of Vietnamese dancesport, Khanh Thi and Phan Hien, Thu Huong couldn't hide her admiration: "Khanh Thi's femininity lies in her ability to be 'spoiled,' but it's done at the right time and with the right person. And Phan Hien is always an incredibly chivalrous gentleman towards his woman. With such gentle care, a woman feels comfortable in giving and receiving in whatever she does for her man."

Thu Huong and her son

Photo: Provided by the interviewee

Three close friends

Thu Huong's captivating beauty

Thu Huong admired her two close friends, but deep down, she was reflecting on herself – the woman who used to be strong, independent, and always kept her distance from men. Huong allowed herself to change, to become softer.

If love provides a catalyst for dancesport couples to excel, then for Thu Huong and Phan Hien, a pair of partners who are "not each other's other halves," the connection comes from a different depth. "Instead of connecting with a dance partner, it's connecting with oneself, with one's inner self. For a woman who has experienced the ups and downs of marriage and dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her career, her inner self naturally becomes deeper and stronger…," Huong said.

A career filled with passion, coupled with personal life experiences, seems to have distilled in Thu Huong a very gentle yearning: to be herself in a softer, more feminine version.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ban-nhay-hoan-hao-cua-phan-hien-185251019211918541.htm