Honoring history and tradition through creative dance

Telling Timestamps

In the opinion of choreographer - Master Le Van Hai, although the war has long gone, the heroic sacrifices of many soldiers and compatriots are still always mentioned, especially the soldiers who fought and sacrificed on the Truong Son road that day. From those feelings, she wrote the dance work Time Marks about the soldiers driving on the legendary Truong Son road.

A scene from the dance Traces of Time

The content of the dance tells about an afternoon in April 1974, a transport convoy was crossing the Truong Son forests when it was attacked by the enemy. To ensure the safety of the convoy and the completion of the mission, there were soldiers who were willing to sacrifice their lives to attract enemy fire. Their sacrifice has become a legend.

Not only stopping at describing sacrifice, Time Marks also cleverly incorporates images of present life, where comrades of the past and the young generation of today still do not forget the heroic past of their brothers, the Truong Son drivers. The camaraderie and the moments of life and death have brought to those who remain a deep and affectionate time mark. In war, in every era, there are people who survive and those who die; and those who die are indomitable monuments, those who remain are the pride of the Vietnamese people.

“When staging the work, I spent time searching for sources of materials, learning about the context of that difficult period to feel the sacrifices and losses of the previous generation. In addition, we had to make an effort to choose actors to suit the characters, the story structure... so that the audience could feel the atmosphere of that period through the language of dance, which was also extremely elaborate,” said female choreographer - Master Le Van Hai.

Preserving folk art with Phan Ngoc

In the dim space after the festival of the Lady at a communal house in the South, everyone had gone home, leaving only Co Bong beside the golden tray offered to Dieu Tri Thanh Mau. Co Bong seemed to still be floating in a dream of luxury, seeing herself in the dream of dancing with the golden tray as a child. The wind blew out the last candle in the communal house, bringing her back to reality: alone after the halo. In the middle of that silent space, the moonlight gently shone down on her.

Starting from that moment, the dance Phan Ngoc by choreographer Ha Thanh Hau continued for 14 sublime minutes, expressing the hearts of the artists dancing with the ball. The work Phan Ngoc chose the theme of preserving and promoting the art of dancing with the ball in Ho Chi Minh City and the South. A unique folk performance art, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam in 2016, but until now, it has not been widely known to the public.

To bring the work from a performance form in the communal house yard to the pinnacle of the art stage, Ha Thanh Hau has made creative innovations in the method and form of expression. “I spent a lot of time researching the art of Southern golden tray dance, the folk dance art of the Kinh people; circus skills such as balancing on high, acrobatics, flexibility... and combined them with the breath of contemporary dance movements to create naturalness, softness, and conciseness.

Through the work, the performing artists and I want to convey the message of preserving and promoting Vietnamese folk dance in the new era. Through modern means and closer to younger audiences, but still maintaining the "soul" of traditional art - that will be the way for national art to be preserved, spread and live forever in the lives of modern people", choreographer Ha Thanh Hau shared.

Time Marks, Fate of Jade are not simply dances, but also historical and cultural stories, profound messages conveyed through each movement and rhythm. The works also contribute to sketching the appearance of dance art in Ho Chi Minh City after 50 years of national reunification.

Timestamp won the A prize in the 2024 Art Award of the Vietnam Dance Artists Association, the B prize in the 2024 Dance Art Award of the Ho Chi Minh City Dance Artists Association, and the Encouragement Prize of the 8th Ho Chi Minh City Open Dance Festival organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Dance Artists Association. Phan Ngoc won the A prize in the 8th Ho Chi Minh City Open Dance Festival, the A prize in the dance art of the Ho Chi Minh City Dance Artists Association (12-2024) and the Type A Award of the Vietnam Dance Artists Association (12-2024).

TIEU TAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ton-vinh-lich-su-truyen-thong-bang-nghe-thuat-mua-sang-tao-post791212.html