Thirst for quality "circus work"...

Reporter: Vietnam Circus and Variety Arts College won 7 awards, including 1 first prize, 2 second prizes and you personally received the Outstanding Director award. What do you think about this achievement?

- Meritorious Artist NGO LE THANG: First of all, it is the joy of the collective and the school because the competition gathers many veteran actors from professional art units nationwide, while the contestants from the circus school are all very young. What is even happier is that winning many big awards proves a truth, that is, to compete in any competition, one must practice hard, accept hardships and devote oneself to art to reap sweet fruits.

.How did you personally prepare to participate in the competition and win the "Best Director" award?

- As a director, I always aspire to innovate the staging method so that the performance is truly a circus "work of art" and not just a "circus act". For any performance, I pay attention to every small detail such as music , sound, light, costumes, ideological content, theme, performance skills... to create the best overall look for the circus work.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong (left) presented the "Excellent Director" award to Meritorious Artist Le Ngo Thang.

The drum performance "Echo of the Mountainous Region" won first prize at the competition. We prepared every step very carefully, even commissioning a musician to write music specifically for the performance, so that we could convey the full message of the work's content. Nowadays, audiences are very sophisticated, if the investment is ineffective or the quality is poor, they will notice it immediately.

What worries you most about the circus industry?

- The training and recruitment of circus schools is increasingly difficult. Many young people have passion but find the circus industry too hard, so they are not as enthusiastic about enrolling as before. To convince the audience to come and support circus arts, the performances must be good, unique and new. Building an excellent circus performance with a long life is not easy, because it requires individual artists and art units to have real ability, passion for the profession and aspiration to commit. We will try to overcome difficulties and strive to fulfill the task of providing human resources for the circus industry.

Given the current state of the circus industry, can you share more specifically about the difficulties in the school's enrollment work?

- Circus training needs more sympathy than ever. We need the sharing and understanding of the whole society and also of the parents who let their children pursue a career in circus. Currently, for each candidate who registers for the course, we have to discuss very carefully with the parents. Because the children are only 11 or 12 years old, the school must have a 24/7 nanny system to take the best care of them.

Meritorious Artist Le Ngo Thang (second from left) and young actors of the circus school (Photo provided by the character)

To fulfill the mission of providing a source of successors for the circus industry. For many years, the school has had to continuously recruit students in many different provinces and cities. For those children who have a passion and aptitude for the circus profession, we have to try our best to convince their parents. Because most parents are afraid to let their children study circus because they are afraid that this profession is dangerous (falling, breaking arms, dislocating legs, injuries during performances).

With these efforts, this year’s enrollment season, the school recruited 48 students (the average quota is about 35 students). This is a good number, showing that the community’s view of the circus profession has become more open.

Vietnam Circus and Variety Arts College is the only unit in Vietnam that trains circus and variety performers. About 90% of circus performers currently working in the country are trained at the school.

.The recruitment process is difficult, the training process is not simple. Do you have any suggestions to reduce the school's difficulties in training?

- At seminars and professional conferences, the difficulties and shortcomings related to circus training have been mentioned many times. The training time of circus schools is 5 years (compared to 18 months like many secondary schools), but circus performers have a short career. With a secondary degree upon graduation, circus performers are only considered 4th class performers. This regulation is really unfair because to become a circus performer, students must have talent, ability and dedication.

Currently, art training establishments have proposed that ministries, departments and branches join with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to research and pay attention to creating the best conditions for specialized training establishments in the field of circus arts. There must be a specific mechanism with appropriate regulations and remuneration for the field of circus arts training.

Meritorious Artist Le Ngo Thang announced the good news that after a period of active preparation, the school has submitted a project to upgrade from intermediate to college level. The project has been submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs for approval. "Upgrading to college level will help students have enough knowledge and confidence in their commitment to the path of art, contributing to creating a strong brand for the circus industry in Vietnam" - Meritorious Artist Le Ngo Thang confided.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nsut-le-ngo-thang-khat-khao-tac-pham-xiec-chat-luong-cao-196240831200052652.htm