This Tet holiday, the Dang village rowing team will still be passing by our gate.

(NB&CL) During the spring days, the sounds of the traditional opera drums from Dang Xa village still resound in the village square, but they seem to have lost their former vibrancy. With costumes worn out, musical instruments no longer touched, and the younger generation preoccupied with making a living in the city, the traditional opera is facing the risk of extinction.

1. On the morning of the second day of Tet (Lunar New Year), as usual, after preparing the ancestral offerings, Ms. Tran Thi Thuy picked up her phone and called the members of the traditional opera troupe to wish them a Happy New Year. As the troupe leader, in addition to greetings and well wishes, she didn't forget to remind everyone about the afternoon's cultural performance.

"Uncle, make sure you play the role of Liu Ping well this afternoon. Come early and rehearse the 'Dao Lieu' dance a bit. No matter how much fun we have during Tet, when we're on stage, we have to do it properly, okay?" That's what Thuy often says to encourage the "artists" in the team.

The Dang Xa village's traditional opera troupe, comprised of women, remains passionate about the art of traditional opera singing.

For many years now, the Dang Xa village rowing troupe (now residential area No. 2, My Loc ward, Ninh Binh province) has been entrusted by the government with organizing the entire cultural program celebrating the longevity of the elderly in the spring. Although the performances have been rehearsed and finalized since the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, before each performance, Ms. Thuy always has to do a few things to "warm up" the spirits of the members and finalize the program one last time.

Typically, the Dang Xa traditional opera troupe has four "main" performances each year: in January, on the occasion of celebrating the longevity of the elders, the village festival, National Day on September 2nd, and International Day of Older Persons on October 1st… On such occasions, the troupe members prepare their costumes and go on stage. Alongside excerpts from classic operas like Truong Vien, Quan Am Thi Kinh, and Luu Binh Duong Le, they perform new songs praising the Party and their homeland. However, Ms. Thuy says that the performance at the beginning of spring always brings the most emotion to everyone. In the moment when the earth and sky transition to spring, the thought of a new beginning, full of vitality, faith, and hope, excites everyone. Moreover, each person secretly feels a sense of pride knowing that they are "keeping the flame" of this heritage alive.

The Dang village's traditional opera troupe performs in the village communal courtyard.

“When the drumbeat begins, we forget all our daily worries about food and clothing. On stage, seeing the elderly people nodding along to the rhythm, and the children with their wide, eager eyes, we feel so happy and tell ourselves we must perform well and beautifully. If we can't stand on stage, if we can't hear the lively sound of the traditional opera drums, then that Tet holiday feels incomplete for us,” Thuy shared.

2. Located in the "cradle" of Cheo singing in the Red River Delta, Dang Xa village is famous for its Cheo troupes since the beginning of the 20th century, once considered the pride of Nam Dinh Cheo. According to Mr. Dang Van Hai, former head of the Elderly Association of Dang Xa village, the village's Cheo singing tradition has a history of about 200 years. Dang Xa, along with neighboring villages such as Quang San and Nhan Nhue, forms a prosperous Cheo singing region, making a significant contribution to Cheo art in Northern Vietnam. This Cheo singing region has even been immortalized in poetry, with Nguyen Binh's poem "Spring Rain": "That day, the spring rain was gently falling / The apricot blossoms were falling in layers / The Cheo troupe of Dang village passed by the lane / Mother said: the village of Doai will be singing tonight…"

Dang Village's traditional opera (cheo) stands out with its simple, rustic, folk-inspired performance style, deeply imbued with the spirit of the countryside, preserved through heartfelt melodies and the resonant sound of the drums. The slow, rich singing style, with its many melodic embellishments and narrative elements, and especially the humorous comedic roles, are close to the social life and people of ancient Vietnam.

“In later stages, the Dang village's traditional opera troupe still maintained that tradition. At its peak, the troupe had about 40 people, performing in many villages in Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Hoa Binh, and other provinces… and everywhere they went, they were admired and welcomed by the people,” Mr. Hai said.

Mrs. Dang Thi Tham, one of the village's renowned cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) singers, now 80 years old, recounts that she played the role of Thi Mau at the age of 16. From 1968 to 1974, she performed with the cheo troupe throughout the country. During its most prosperous period, the Dang Xa village performing arts troupe achieved many successes. In 1961, the Dang Xa troupe won first prize at the provincial cheo performance competition with the plays "Bush of Thorns" and "Changing Stars." In 1963, the troupe won first prize at the all-Military Region 3 cheo competition with the play "A Handful of Buffalo Grass." In 1982, the Dang Xa troupe won another first prize at the Binh Luc cheo festival in Ha Nam province, not to mention dozens of other awards, both large and small, within and outside Nam Dinh province.

Mrs. Dang Thi Tham, one of the village's renowned traditional opera singers, is now 80 years old.

3. However, from the 1980s onwards, the activities of the Dang Xa village's traditional opera troupe began to stagnate. Around 1982, the troupe gradually disbanded, and performances were almost completely discontinued. It wasn't until 2004 that the traditional opera movement was revived thanks to the efforts of Mr. Dang Manh Yeu. Sadly, Mr. Yeu passed away in 2024. Now, in Dang Xa, only the traditional opera troupe belonging to the Elderly Association of Thuong Hamlet remains.

“The passing of Ms. Yêu means the traditional opera troupe has lost a teacher and director. When she was alive, she was not only a talented singer but also played the piano, and she taught and corrected us every little movement… With her gone, we are all busy and can no longer research and learn like the elders did, so sometimes our singing sounds like rote memorization,” Ms. Thúy said.

Most of the current members of the rowing team are elderly people.

According to Ms. Thuy, the Dang Xa folk opera, though once "famous far and wide," is no longer as vibrant as it used to be, and the younger generation is no longer interested in it. The members of the opera troupe are essentially farmers or small traders at the market. The troupe has over 20 members, including elderly people over 80, while the youngest is over 50. Finding a truly young successor is difficult. Someone suggested incorporating folk opera into extracurricular activities for students at the village school, but this idea never materialized. Furthermore, there are no longer any people who can play musical instruments to accompany the troupe, so the troupe's performances are entirely based on online music.

"Like Mrs. Huong here, who is 73 years old now, she can still perform on stage, her acting is still very smooth. But there are no more string musicians, and the traditional Chèo singers can't sing along to online music, so for the past three or four years, traditional Chèo has been lost," Ms. Thuy said regretfully.

According to Mr. Dang Van Hai, limited funding means the troupe's activities are kept at a minimum. Sound equipment, costumes, and makeup are all provided by the members themselves. Most importantly, the troupe's activities haven't received adequate attention from the local authorities. Many performances for village and commune events don't even pay the members. And historically, no one in Dang village has ever been awarded the title of "artisan."

“We are facing many difficulties. Most of the passionate people are getting old and sick, gradually passing away. The younger generation doesn't like or sing traditional opera; and even if they wanted to learn, it would be very difficult, and they also have to earn money. This Tet, the Dang village opera troupe is still here, but we don't know if we can maintain the reputation of 'Dang village opera,' or for how long,” – Mr. Hai's words were like a heartfelt confession, filled with many worries…

Source: https://congluan.vn/tet-nay-doi-cheo-lang-dang-con-qua-ngo-10329491.html