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| The local performing arts group performs bowl dances for guests staying at Ba Be Lake. |
Bowl dancing in celebrations
We visited the humble home of Artisan Ha Sy Hoan in Cho Don commune to hear him tell stories about the bowl dance. Artisan Ha Sy Hoan was awarded the title of Folk Artisan and received the Commemorative Medal for the Cause of Vietnamese Folk Arts in the field of Practicing and Teaching the Tay ethnic group's bowl dance in 2024.
The story goes that since ancient times, the Tay ethnic people have created many ways to entertain themselves after a tiring day at work. During gatherings, after drinking plenty of wine, people try tapping their bowls and chopsticks together to create sounds.
The movements mimicked the process of reeling silk and turning the threads with bowls and chopsticks in traditional hand-weaving. People danced in long lines around the house, creating a joyful atmosphere filled with laughter and chatter.
Bowl dance is often performed during celebrations; the more lively and joyful the atmosphere, the more captivating the dance becomes. The postures in the bowl dance are very diverse, including standing upright, sitting down, bending, bowing forward, and leaning backward. The costumes are simple, consisting of traditional Tay ethnic clothing. The musical instruments are bowls and chopsticks; each dancer holds two bowls and a pair of chopsticks.
The bowl dance is performed in a group style, with 6 to 12 people, or as part of a community performance. To perform the bowl dance, dancers walk to a rhythmic tapping motion while using bowls and chopsticks to create sounds like a unique piece of music.
The sound of the bowl being tapped will resonate, sometimes low, sometimes high, like the woman's confession and sharing of the hardships of silkworm breeding and weaving, while also expressing the people's desires and aspirations for a prosperous and fulfilling life.
Multiply the circles of solidarity.
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| Artisan Ha Sy Hoan is passionate about the traditional bowl dance. |
Despite its spiritual significance and enduring connection with the Tay ethnic group, the bowl dance was gradually forgotten for a long time, and no one mentioned it anymore. Remembering his childhood memories of the bowl dance, artisan Sy Hoan researched and documented the dance from elderly people in the Tay villages to pass it on to local performing arts groups.
From 2016 to the present, artisan Ha Sy Hoan has directed and guided nearly 30 performing arts groups in various localities, comprising over 250 people. From these initial groups, over time, the bowl dance has become a unique characteristic bearing the imprint of the Tay ethnic people.
In 2022, the Tay people's folk art of bowl dance was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In recent years, the bowl dance has received attention and has gradually been restored and developed in many localities in the province.
To suit modern performing arts, the movements in the bowl dance have been diversified. Using chopsticks and bowls, dancers perform various actions mimicking familiar activities in daily life such as: harvesting rice, flying like fairies, rowing boats, turning water wheels, grinding corn, pounding rice, and splashing water…
The dancers can move gracefully, forming shapes like cones, circles, and letters. This creates unique characteristics that attract viewers of all ages.
The traditional bowl dance performed in the villages of the Tay people has become a cultural highlight in many programs and festivals in Thai Nguyen province. This heritage has been revived in local performing arts groups and schools, and incorporated into performances to serve community tourism .
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202512/than-thuong-dieu-mua-bat-60330bd/
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