Half a year ago, just by chance, she saw a video of a "fairy-like" ancient dance on social media. Nguyen Thao immediately looked for a place to study and registered for a class in District 3.
The girl in Thu Duc City is an office worker, looking for a sport to practice after work for entertainment. Thao has loved Chinese music since she was a child, especially famous songs such as Nu Nhi Tinh , Nhat Mong Kinh Hong , Song Dien Yen Tuan , Phu Quang . Late last year, when dance videos to this music spread widely on the internet with the image of the dancer wearing wide-open ancient costumes, Thao was attracted.
"The woman performing the ancient dance looks like a flower branch, fragile and soft," Thao said. She paid 700,000 VND for 8 lessons and received a free video recording of the results.
The first few lessons made Thao cry because they were so difficult. The instructor instructed her to start by rolling over, rotating, kicking, and straightening her legs. For 60 minutes, Thao was drenched in sweat, and her arms, abs, and thighs "hurt like someone had beaten them."
Once she got used to it, Thao moved on to more difficult movements such as stretching, standing on her toes to strengthen her ankles, and making her rotation more beautiful because ancient dances are often symbolic, such as plum blossom hands, orchid hands, pine tree and cypress tree postures.
"I spend 30-45 minutes every day practicing at home," Thao said. "Breathing, arm shape, and hand movements have become habits."
After 8 sessions, Thao's class asked the teacher to help buy dance costumes including wide-leg pants, light-weight robes, and fluttering skirts for video recording. Currently, Thao has 5 different ancient dance videos as a result of 5 courses.
Nguyen Thao (red shirt) in a traditional dance class on Dien Bien Phu Street, District 3, on the evening of March 25. Photo: Ngoc Ngan
Chinese classical dance classes like Thao Hoc are becoming a "hot trend" among Saigon's youth. A survey by VnExpress noted that the city currently has 15-20 dance centers and classes, gathering nearly 2,000 students.
A representative of a costume dance class on Dien Bien Phu Street, District 3, said that since the end of 2023, the explosion of costume dance videos on social media has caused a surge in the number of young people seeking to learn. The center has had to increase its classes from three to seven. Participants are mainly between the ages of 17 and 40, with a need to exercise and have fun.
Ms. Ha Le Thuy Trang, a dance teacher in District 4 and co-founder of TH Dance Center, said that this subject was introduced to Vietnam in 2019, with the number of students increasing steadily by about 10% each year. However, since the beginning of 2024, ancient dance has become popular with a sudden increase in the number of students. Dances from China have been simplified to reach the general public, combined with videos on social networks to create curiosity. According to Ms. Trang, young people are attracted by factors such as melody, movements and costumes.
The female teacher said that ancient dance attracts young people because students can exercise and relax at the same time, and finally the videos of the results are very attractive and unique to show off to friends on social networks. Therefore, dance classes often invest in professional backdrops and lights like a stage.
Trang's center does not focus on simple movements but guides students to cover dances from the beginning to create excitement. "This is a subject that requires flexibility and patience from the practitioner," Trang said. "The dance style is suitable for Asian culture and physique, so it quickly became a craze."
Ancient dance class on Vinh Khanh street, district 4, evening of March 25. Photo: Ngoc Ngan
Thu Tra, 30 years old, realized that her hands and feet were very stiff and clumsy during the first session. She was so focused on remembering the movements that her face could not express any emotion.
However, Tra was still determined because she wanted to make a beautiful video. She was edited in every detail from her hand movements to her posture because if she missed one rhythm of her dance, it would be ruined.
Three times a week, she spends at least half an hour practicing the moves before going to class. After a few weeks, Tra observed a clear change in her body, becoming more flexible and stronger. To date, she has completed three courses, which means she can perform three different dances. Tra often chooses to learn covers of her favorite songs to stay motivated.
In the same class as Tra, Ms. Thu Giang, 38 years old, has studied ancient dance for four years with 78 courses. Giang is interested because she can practice with relaxing music, bringing health and spiritual values. She especially invests in costumes such as cheongsam, flared skirts, and ancient costumes. "I have a younger sister who studies with me, so we often mix and match costumes or exchange clothes," Giang said.
However, there are many cases like Phuong Vy, 27 years old, who had to give up in the first practice session. The girl who works in the media industry in District 3, said she carefully chose the class, talked to the teacher because she had never studied dance before.
However, the continuous movements combined together made her unable to keep up with the rhythm. She gave up and returned to Yoga and jogging to exercise.
"I think only people who are truly passionate and interested can pursue it," Vy said.
Students dance in traditional costumes at a class on Dien Bien Phu Street, District 3. Video: Sarah Tran.
Ngoc Ngan
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