The unique Xuân Phả dance of Thanh Hóa

Farmers step out of their fields, temporarily shaking off the mud and straw, donning traditional costumes, and transforming into artistic figures, recreating the glorious and majestic era of their ancestors from time immemorial. This is the Xuan Pha Folk Dance, one of the typical performances that preserves the heroic past of the nation through the dynasties of feudal history, in Xuan Pha village, Xuan Truong commune, Tho Xuan district ( Thanh Hoa ). The Xuan Pha performance is considered not only unique and distinctive but also "one of a kind" in Thanh Hoa.

Join author Phan Huy Thiep in recreating the Xuan Pha folk dance through his photo album titled: "The Unique Xuan Pha Folk Dance of Thanh Hoa Province." This work was submitted to the Happy Vietnam Photo and Video Contest , organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

Xuan Pha is also considered a comprehensive performance art combining elements of play, song, and dance. A prominent feature of Xuan Pha's performance art is its unwavering respect for the dance content; all dance movements adhere to strict rules.

Each dance within the entire system has a clear choreography. The dance style is also strictly regulated and utilizes many movements such as hand movements, foot movements, and dances with props (flags, fans, swords, spears, etc.). Particularly noteworthy are the movements in the Xuân Phả dances, which incorporate shoulder jerking, head shaking, full-body movements, and small jumps—rare occurrences in the history of human dance development.

The Xuan Pha dance originated during the Le Dynasty. It began as a court dance and was later taught to the common people. The Xuan Pha dance reflects the five neighboring countries that offered gifts to the Le Dynasty, with five dances: Hoa Lang, Chiem Thanh, Tu Huan (Luc Hon Nhung), Ai Lao, and Ngo Quoc. The Xuan Pha dance is a synthesis of various art forms: dance, singing, music, and costumes, creating a unique and distinctive system of dance and performance. Its uniqueness also lies in the fact that three out of five dances involve the dancers wearing masks.

Xuan Pha performances are folk shows depicting scenes of people from five directions coming to pay homage, bringing unique dance and song performances from neighboring countries to congratulate the ancient Vietnamese emperor. According to researchers, Xuan Pha performances are considered to contain many mysterious pieces of information about the Vietnamese past, have multifaceted connections to national history, and play an important role in the Vietnamese performing arts and music repertoire.

Currently, the origin of Xuan Pha folk performance remains a mystery and is not yet unanimously agreed upon among folk culture researchers. However, according to artisan Bui Van Hung (Xuan Truong commune, Tho Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province), who plays a significant role in preserving and conserving the Xuan Pha folk performance heritage, the people of Xuan Pha village have passed down through generations the belief that the origin of this performance dates back to the Dinh Dynasty (968-980).

Vietnam.vn