Spectacular enters record books

Word of mouth: The Bong Sen Theatre's production of Sen (Lotus) in HCM City has made it into the Viet Nam Guinness Book of Records for being the "most spectacular and inspiring Vietnamese cultural performance". — File Photo

HCM CITY — The Bong Sen Theatre of Traditional Music and Dance's production Sen (Lotus) has entered the Viet Nam Guinness Record for being "the most spectacular and inspiring Vietnamese cultural performance".

First staged in 2010 by the HCM City-based theatre, the show expresses traditional cultures and folklore through beautiful contemporary choreography and the enchanting sounds of traditional musical instruments.

It will make its 2013 debut on January 30 and 31, and be performed regularly nationwide.

Historian Nguyen Khac Thuan, representing the Viet Nam Guinness Record, told a press conference on Monday that the Bong Sen Theatre deserved the honour for promoting and preserving Vietnamese cultural heritage.

The honour will formally be conferred on the show's opening night.

Sen is crafted by a group of leading artists and has many cultural references.

Dang Hung, the director of the theatre, said professional dance artists and budding talents from the Bong Sen Theatre would perform alongside pillars of the performing arts such as People's Artists Do Loc and Phuong Bao, Meritorious Artists Dang Hung, Vuong Linh, Nhat Sinh, Dinh Linh, Tuyet Mai, Xuan Nhung, and Anh Tan, choreographer Tran Ly Ly, and renowned dancer Linh Nga.

"The oldest is 67-year-old Do Loc, and the youngest is seven-year-old Gia Linh," Hung said.

Vuong Linh said this year Sen would feature 15 items, including the closing item called Dang Sen (Offer Lotus Respectfully) which will be performed by all 117 artists in the show.

Sen will be staged 24 times around the country this year, with several tourist companies linking up to bring their clients to the shows in HCM City.

The first two performances will be at the HCM City Opera House. — VNS