While organizing the Vietnam Dancesport Festival 2025, she discussed her passion for dancesport, as well as her life and work.
How do you balance organizing a sports tournament with taking care of your family?
I'm fortunate to have extended family support. My three young children are cared for by their paternal grandparents, so my husband, Phan Hien, and I can focus on our work and develop our dancing careers. Ku Bi once complained to friends that he had only seen his parents during practice recently, which broke my heart. However, it's good for the children to be independent. They will understand my workload, from training, teaching, and organizing events. My husband offered to help, but I wanted him to concentrate on competing.
How do you manage your energy while juggling so many roles?
I don't understand why I take on so much. I feel like I'm "punished by heaven" because no one forces me to. I find my work helpful and makes people happy, so I'm also happy.
Recently, I've performed less because I don't enjoy personal acclaim. I prefer organizing sports events to inspire athletes. Vietnamese people are very talented, but they have limited access to international opportunities, mainly due to finances; not enough money to study or exchange experiences abroad. I've sponsored many athletes to compete and study so that Vietnamese dancesport can be recognized internationally.
With a happy family, a certain social standing, and solid finances, what do you think you're lacking?
I think I lack money because I'm not as wealthy as people think (laughs). I sell goods online to supplement my income from coaching and my salary as Director of the Institute of Culture and Arts at the University of Economics and Finance, Ho Chi Minh City. I send my three children to international schools and pay the staff at my dance center. The cost of sending Phan Hien abroad for training programs alone is several billion dong. My dance center was a gift from my parents-in-law, not something I built myself.
Don't dream of having a life like mine because it's too hard; only with enough passion can you do it. I'm not afraid of losing. I enjoy challenges and always see things through to the end.
What emotions does organizing the International Dance Festival bring you?
In 2005, I started participating in international competitions. Since then, I've dreamed of a platform in Vietnam for myself and other athletes to gain experience and elevate Vietnamese dancesport globally. I wrote several letters to the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) requesting permission to organize it, and they finally agreed at the end of last year. I'm proud to bring this major tournament to Vietnam.
Until now, we've only known about the Sea Games, a multi-sport event that includes dancesport. I've also registered for the Asian Solo Championship and the World Open Championship to provide more opportunities for our athletes.
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Khanh Thi, 43, from Hanoi. Photo: Provided by the subject |
Khanh Thi, 43, from Hanoi. Photo: Provided by the subject
What challenges did you and your team face during the process?
The Vietnam Dancesport Festival 2025 took place over five days with 37 countries and territories participating. I was under pressure arranging schedules, accommodations, and transportation for 3,000 athletes and the judging panel. My team only had 20 core staff and 100 volunteers. This required staff with communication, networking, and foreign language skills to assist international delegations. For the past few months, we've only slept a few hours a day. Many team members were so stressed they hid on the office stairs to nap.
Also, the organizational costs were a headache. Inviting over 50 international judges was very expensive. Five-star hotel accommodations and airfare cost over 100 million dong per person. The current economic situation is challenging, so seeking sponsorship wasn't easy. I had to spend nearly 8 billion dong of my own money to keep things running smoothly.
Khanh Thi trains Vietnamese athletes for the "Vietnam Dancesport Festival 2025." Video: Provided by the subject
Khanh Thi and her husband, dancer Phan Hien, are partners in dancesport and life. In 2009, they won two gold medals at the Asian Dancesport Championship, which helped Phan Hien become a dancesport master. In 2023, the couple received the Third-class Labor Medal.
The artist also holds various roles: international dancesport judge, Director of the Institute of Culture and Arts at the University of Economics and Finance, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vice President of the Viresa Electronic Sports and Entertainment Association. Last year, she also returned as a judge on the TV show "Dancing with the Stars."
Hoang Dung
