Young man passionate about traditional art

Having been immersed in the vibrant sounds of the pentatonic orchestra since he was a child, Nguyen Van Thanh Toan in Hamlet 4, Xa Phien Commune, Can Tho City has always wondered how to prevent the traditional Khmer art of the South from fading away. He is a rare young person who is attached to the art of performing Ro Bam dance and researching and painting the Chan mask himself.

Many local young people were instructed in traditional Khmer dances by Mr. Toan (right cover).

Born into a family where his mother and grandparents were members of the local opera troupe, Thanh Toan was familiar with dances, songs, drums, trumpets, etc., so the “fire” of art was nurtured in him early. Being exposed to the pentatonic orchestra at a very young age, the unique, profound sounds that touched people’s hearts further fueled Toan’s passion for art.

In 2023, after mastering the pentatonic orchestra, Thanh Toan realized that learning the Ro Bam dance on his own was not easy, so thanks to the introduction of the Department of Culture and Information of Long My district (old) he went to study at the Khmer Art Troupe of Soc Trang province (old). Being carefully instructed on movements, gestures, how to transform into characters, etc. helped Thanh Toan become more confident and bold in participating in performances during festivals and traditional New Year of the local Khmer people.

During his time studying Ro Bam dance, Thanh Toan was fortunate to have the opportunity to approach the traditional mask-making methods of artisans and then try to make them himself. He used cardboard, flour, and clay to create masks to represent the faces of the ogres and monkeys. This work takes a lot of time, requires meticulousness in every small detail, a delicate sense of character expression, and balance when moving... but it is very attractive to Thanh Toan. The elaborate drawings, from the eyes, eyebrows, fangs to the colors orange, red, and blue, are all harmoniously coordinated by him. He has made 7 masks to use in performances, helping to save costs, because each mask usually costs about 3 million VND.

The 26-year-old man's determination to stick with traditional art warms the hearts of many local artisans when mentioning it. What is valuable is that Thanh Toan volunteers to share and instruct young people about traditional Khmer dances, the art of Ro Bam dance, and teaches mask painting for performances...

For the past 2 years, many local students and young people have regularly come to Toan's house on weekends to learn dancing and mask painting. He has founded and is the head of the Ro Bam Dance Club with 16 members and the Folk Dance Club with more than 20 members in Xa Phien commune. This place has become a place for healthy and useful entertainment and activities, where members with the same passion will exchange with each other, helping the younger generation to understand more deeply the traditional cultural values in each dance and represent the locality in participating in competitions and performances.

Mr. Toan shared: “I am very happy that many local young people responded and expressed their love for traditional dance. My biggest wish is to be able to stand on stage to perform and contribute to making Ro Bam live forever in the community. The club always welcomes everyone, young people who are not Khmer can still participate and there is no tuition fee.”

Young people like Thanh Toan show that traditional culture will not fade away if there are people who "keep the fire alive".

Article and photos: HN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/chang-trai-tre-dam-me-nghe-thuat-truyen-thong-a189730.html