In his journey to find the source of traditional culture to reflect in the contemporary space of the play, choreographer Nguyen Duy Thanh chose Xuan Pha dance - a unique folk art form of Thanh Hoa - as one of the core materials to recreate, contemplate and create. The project combines dance, music , animation and visual arts, opening up multi-dimensional dialogues between history - individual - community - future.
Memories of a Thousand Year Old Dance
According to folklore researchers, Xuan Pha dance was born around the 10th century, associated with the feat of unifying the country of King Dinh Tien Hoang. Legend has it that after the victory over the 12 warlords, the king held a festival to reward his troops and welcome envoys from all over the world. To celebrate the great victory and show friendship with neighboring countries, Xuan Pha villagers created unique dances, each representing a different cultural region such as Hoa Lang, Ai Lao, Tao Hich, Tun Di, and Ngo Quoc. These dances not only have unique costumes, movements, and music, but are also vivid evidence of the cultural exchange of Southeast Asia in ancient times.
Over the centuries, Xuan Pha dance was at risk of being lost but was restored in the 90s of the 20th century. In 2016, Xuan Pha dance was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
A journey of cultural exchange and spiritual revival
By receiving materials from many different cultural spaces, “Ma: The Road to Nothingness” not only recreates an ancient cultural material but also transforms it into the language of inner emotions, imagination and reflection. In which, Xuan Pha dance is no longer simply a folk decorative element, but becomes a spiritual material to open up new dialogues between tradition and modernity.
There, movements are deconstructed and reshaped in the language of contemporary dance - where the body becomes a storytelling tool, while music and images create a surreal space, taking the audience on a journey of memories - where ancestors, culture and identity meet in a non-linear mental realm. Elements such as traditional costumes, traditional musical instruments, and folk body language are all cleverly integrated to evoke a sense of both familiarity and strangeness, nostalgia and questioning.
Artist Nguyen Quoc Hoang Anh, Artistic Director and Project Producer, said: “I am fascinated by the ‘dialogue’ between seemingly contradictory elements – techno and traditional ritual, urban and spiritual, trance and spirit mediumship. The more foreign elements are absorbed, the more polished and colorful Vietnamese culture becomes. Opposing elements exist side by side without being mixed, on the contrary, their harshness increases."
Electronic music with the "hypnotic" rhythm of techno, when combined with the iconic movements of Xuan Pha, creates a space where modernity and local identity intersect. It is a dialogue between trance and ritual, between urbanization and folk spirituality. This intersection creates a realm where the "trance state" is both sacred and modern.
The appearance of Xuan Pha dance in the project is not only a testament to the value of folk culture in contemporary artistic creation, but also an affirmation: every movement of history is being rewritten by the body, by art and by the desire to connect the past with the present.
“Through Xuan Pha dance, we raise questions about the connection between contemporary people and heritage, about how cultural memories are not only preserved in museums but also alive in our bodies, in our breathing, and in the way we face ourselves and the community,” choreographer Nguyen Duy Thanh shared.
“Code: the road to nothingness”, where traditional and contemporary dance and music intersect and blend
The unique features of “Ma: the road to nothingness” are the Tuong dance, Xuan Pha dance and techno electronic music, aiming to support and connect the young generation of artists with the ecosystem of state institutions, businesses and the public, promoting creativity in developing indigenous materials and expanding international dialogue. Through the language of dance, music and images, the work raises thoughts on the connection between the past, present and future, as well as the relationship between individuals, families and ancestor worship in the context of contemporary life.
“Tuong dance or tuong dance is an important element of tuong stage, characterized by stylized, symbolic and highly expressive movements. Each movement and gesture in tuong dance has its own meaning, often originating from historical, mythological or cultural symbols. These gestures are used to convey emotions, actions and narrative elements without words,” emphasized artist Nguyen Quoc Hoang Anh.
The show also emphasizes knowledge sharing,education and creating opportunities for young artists, while aiming to expand its reach to many other cities and contribute to the development of the cultural industry in Vietnam.
Throughout the work, traditional material details interwoven with popular social elements will act as a frame, a subtle metaphor for customs and conflicts, dissecting scenes, rituals, habits and rules not only about history and heritage, but also about the very structure of each person's existence, thereby highlighting and honoring the ancestor worship of the ancient Vietnamese people.
According to artist Nguyen Quoc Hoang Anh, Artistic Director and project producer, unlike traditional theater that follows a linear storytelling structure, multidisciplinary theater breaks old limits to open up a flexible and multidimensional creative space. The audio-visual-motion-technology elements are intentionally interwoven, not only increasing the appeal and expressive depth of the work, but also creating immersive and unique experiences for the audience. There, the audience is not simply a recipient but becomes a part of the play, feeling, thinking and discovering new dimensions of imagination.
More importantly, this creative approach requires and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, where artists do not stand alone in their own areas of expertise, but come together to exchange, learn and develop thinking beyond the boundaries. This process helps them expand their expressive capabilities, experiment with new structures and forms, thereby promoting innovation and freer expression of personal identity.
Through these experiences, artists not only expand their knowledge beyond their own areas of expertise, but also unleash their creative thinking, increase their confidence, and build their international profile. At the same time, they have the opportunity to establish in-depth connections with artists from other fields, thereby expanding the possibilities for long-term collaboration and development.
“We believe that art and culture is a continuous process of accumulating past experiences through many generations, and we are all inspired by our predecessors. Data related to the artists' practice, including research documents, thematic documentaries, field notes from artists... will also be transferred to the community of young artists participating in the project's programs,” artist Nguyen Quoc Hoang Anh affirmed.
With the goal of preserving, adapting and transmitting cultural heritage in a new form while still maintaining the core spirit of traditional art, the project "Ma: The Road to Nothingness" will continue its journey of introduction to the public in Hai Phong City and Ho Chi Minh City in 2025 as well as the expectation of becoming a nucleus for spreading creative art practices from heritage materials, especially the potential of traditional art stages, promoting the sustainable development of traditional art with a contemporary approach.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/ma-duong-ve-hu-vo-noi-vu-dao-tro-thanh-hoi-uc-song-dong-post883929.html
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