The ballet "Do" will be performed at Ho Guom Theater on 29/3. Phan Luong and Vu Ngoc Khai are responsible for choreography, with Huong Na Tran as the general director. The production features 20 ballet artists from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, alongside other notable talents. They perform various movement sequences, including casting nets, setting fish traps, carrying water, and transplanting rice seedlings, which are familiar scenes from agricultural life.
"Do" is structured into four parts: Winter, Autumn, Summer, and Spring, corresponding to the chapters Wind's Bond, Silent Wind, Monsoon Wind, and Intoxicated Wind. The music for the ballet is an adaptation of Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" suite, arranged by composer Max Richter.
According to choreographer Vu Ngoc Khai, this revival of "Do" introduces two new elements. The organizers have enhanced the stage visuals and lighting to create a more impactful experience for the audience. Additionally, a "hand flute" artist will perform, creating sounds using only their hands. The ballet also explores Vietnamese dance language more deeply, combining contemporary movements with classical ballet techniques.
General director Huong Na Tran stated that the team distilled purely Vietnamese imagery, such as the character Chu Teu (a traditional Vietnamese puppet), fish traps, woven mats, and fan dances, transforming them into dance language. This approach aims to create an academic art piece with a distinct Vietnamese identity.
The program first premiered in Ha Noi in 5/2024. On 5-6/7/2024, the team introduced the work to audiences in the southern region. According to the creative team, "Do" is not just a performance but also an experiment in the Vietnamization of ballet, an art form introduced from Europe. Explaining the title, general director Huong Na Tran noted that Do paper (a traditional Vietnamese paper) appears in many folk art forms, representing Vietnamese cultural identity. The title is also a pun on "gio" (wind), symbolizing freedom.
Phuong Linh
