Unique shadow puppet dance

Shadow puppetry and folk singing (also known as shadow puppetry and folk singing) is a performing art form that originated hundreds of years ago in the Southern region of Vietnam. This art form is often performed during festivals and ceremonies at communal houses, temples, and shrines, including those dedicated to the Goddess of the Land, the Water Dragon Goddess, and the Heavenly Empress.

• The unique features of the five-tone orchestra
• Preserving the art of Dù Kê
• There are still those tireless birds.

In Ca Mau , this art form is now often performed during the Ky Yen festival at communal temples and the festival honoring the Goddess in many localities such as Ca Mau City, Thoi Binh, Dam Doi, etc., contributing to preserving the unique cultural features of the Southern Vietnamese shadow puppet dance. Notably, recently, Ca Mau shadow puppet dance has been performed on stage at amateur art festivals, variety shows, and during festivals and holidays.

At the recent 9th Provincial Folk Arts Festival in 2024, the shadow puppet dance performance by a group from Thoi Binh district left the audience with impressive performances. The dancers, including My Loc, Thanh Phong, and My Loan, showcased their skills in singing and performing folk arts such as: jar dance, pot dance, chair dance, stick dance, lily dance, running disc dance, peacock feather dance, cosmic dance, and super dance... with graceful movements and gestures that captivated the viewers. In particular, the golden tray dance added to the spiritual beauty of the program.

The shadow puppet troupe in Thoi Binh district is dazzling, from their costumes and heavy makeup to the colorful scenery.

Besides mastering the graceful dance movements, shadow puppet dancers must also memorize the rhyming verses, understand the musical instruments, and know how to harmoniously coordinate the verses, dance movements, and music to create a cohesive whole.

American singer Loan performs the lily dance.

According to the female shaman My Loc, shamanic dances and folk songs (also known as inviting songs) usually praise goddesses, performed by female shamans. The dance movements mostly use only the head, neck, and forehead, such as carrying trays or flowers, to show reverence to the divine. The costumes for shamanic dances are very elaborate, colorful, and adorned with jewelry and makeup as splendid as those of a traditional opera actress.

American female dancer My Loc with a drum dance performance.

The female dancer Thanh Phong performs a peacock feather dance.

Having undergone centuries of formation, transmission, and development, the folk performing art of Southern Vietnamese shadow puppetry (Múa bóng rỗi) was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam in 2016.

Performed by Huynh Lam

Source: https://baocamau.vn/doc-dao-mua-bong-roi-a34666.html