Preserving the Xoe dance of the Thai people

To preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of the Thai people in general and the Thai xoe art recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in particular, Son La city has implemented many solutions, including the establishment of Thai xoe clubs.

Solidarity dance - a unique cultural feature of the Thai ethnic group.

Thai Xoe art is a type of folk performing art, has existed for a long time and has become an indispensable spiritual and cultural activity of the Thai people. When the sound of gongs and drums resounds, people joyfully join hands to form a Xoe circle, moving their feet rhythmically in the bustling, exciting atmosphere. The Xoe circle becomes a connecting thread of the community, expressing the unique cultural identity of the nation.

The art of Xoe is preserved quite intact by the Thai ethnic people in the city, including 6 Xoe dances: Holding hands dance (kham khen); Throwing scarves dance (nhom khan); Advance and retreat dance (don hon); Break the xi dance (bo bo); Raising scarves to invite wine (kham khan moi lau) and Going in a circle clapping hands dance (om lom top mu).

In which, the hand-holding dance is the first basic movement. In this dance, the formation is in a circle, everyone holds hands, the right foot takes a step forward, the left foot follows closely behind the right foot, and at the same time holds hands and raises them up to head level to the beat of the drum.

As for the scarf tossing dance, when the hands are thrown high in rhythm with the footsteps, at the same time, both hands hold the two ends of the scarf and throw it high in rhythm with the drum beat. With the xoe dance, stepping forward and backward, in a circle, one person steps forward, the person next to them steps back, the hand movement is tossing the scarf high and the footwork is to the drum beat.

The four-piece dance consists of groups of four people performing the movements of spreading out their intertwined hands and then separating, expressing the feelings of each individual in the community, no matter where they go, they will never forget their roots.

Or the circle clapping dance, everyone walks in a circle, feet stepping forward evenly, arms swinging in rhythm with the steps, each time a beat ends, they stop, bounce to the rhythm and raise their arms up to head level, clapping...

Launching ceremony of Thai Xoe Club in Hua La commune, city.

Ms. Lu Thi Doan, Head of the City's Department of Culture and Information, said: Each xoe dance has its own unique characteristics, but in general, it reflects the life, thoughts, feelings, and aspirations of the Thai ethnic people. Currently, the City is popularizing xoe dances to cadres, party members, and local ethnic people, serving community activities and cultural exchanges. To date, the City has established more than 20 ethnic cultural clubs and nearly 20 Thai xoe clubs in communes and wards.

The Thai Xoe Club of Ne To village, Hua La commune, was newly established in September 2023, with 60 members, all of whom are the core of the village's arts. To preserve and promote the ethnic identity, at least once a quarter, members gather at the village cultural house to meet and practice together.

Members of the Thai Xoe Club of Ne To village, Hua La commune practice the Thai Xoe dance.

Ms. Ha Thi Suoi, a member of the Thai Xoe Club in Ne To village, shared: The club members are of various ages, from the elderly to the young, both male and female, mainly working in agriculture , so the club has agreed to organize practice time mainly in the evening so that everyone can participate fully. In addition to preserving and teaching the ancient Xoe dances, the club continues to research and create attractive creative Xoe dances. Currently, the club is promoting and mobilizing new members, especially young people, to ensure succession.

In Chieng Sinh ward, once a week, members of the Phung Thai ethnic cultural club gather at the community cultural house to practice Thai ethnic dances. Members come here voluntarily, the oldest is 68 years old, the youngest is 8 years old, all are passionate about xoe dance. Mr. Ca Van Phon, Chairman of the club, shared: If we do not preserve and teach the younger generation now, the dances and xoe dances of the Thai ethnic group will be lost. Therefore, club members are always proactive and active in learning and collecting ancient dances. Particularly for the Thai xoe dance, the club has collected and restored 4/6 ancient xoe dances.

Practice the ancient dance of the Thai people.

Ms. Vuong Thanh Hai, Meritorious Artist, former Director of the Provincial Music and Dance Theater, shared: "Without xoe, there is no joy, without xoe, the rice plant will not bloom, without xoe, the corn plant will not grow ears, without xoe, boys and girls will not become couples", the Thai people have a song like that to express the meaning of xoe in daily life. There are few festivals or celebrations of the Thai people that are without xoe. Preserving and developing folk songs and dances, including ancient Thai xoe, by establishing Thai xoe clubs in groups and villages, which the City is implementing, is very practical and effective and needs to continue to be promoted.

Thai dance clubs attract a large number of female members.

Xoe dance is not only used in community activities to express and make friends, but also to express ideas of spiritual origin and has a unique identity from artistic rituals to costumes. In addition, Xoe dance is also considered a unique tourism product for every visitor to Son La. In addition to performing in community life, Son La city has encouraged the development of this art form through organizing festival activities associated with Thai Xoe art.

To preserve and conserve the Thai Xoe art heritage, Son La city continues to promote propaganda and promotion in many forms, on mass media, social networks, through competitions, performances and organizing exchange and performance activities between Thai Xoe clubs in communes and wards and between Thai Xoe clubs of the city and localities inside and outside the province.

Minh Thu-Thanh Huyen

Source