Antigone will be performed by Vietnamese contemporary dancers at the Việt Nam National Opera & Ballet. Photo Hoàng Bách

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese contemporary dancers will debut Antigone – a classic Greek play tonight at the Việt Nam National Opera & Ballet.

The dance entitled A Woman focuses on looking deeper into the main role Antigone’s inner world. Antigone is a play by Sophocles, one of the most famous and celebrated writers of tragedy plays in ancient Greece.

It is about loyalty to family and state, human dignity and social cohesion, the course of history and the importance of the individual in society.

Through movement and body language, the dancers will not interpret Antigone character as a symbol of free will but reveal a more human Antigone. 

“The body is another place where the mind has no control," said Trần Minh Hải, co-director and performer. 

"It includes both the language of consciousness and the echo of emotions and instincts. That is how A Woman wants to tell this story original, raw and real."

The work is co-directed by Hải, Phạm Hương and Hoàng Hà with art adviser veteran dancer Đỗ Hoàng Thi Ngọc. 

Hải plays Antigone in the dance. She is a performer and dance teacher at Kinergie Studio. 

She has participated in shows and performed at A Touch of Belgium, Krossing Over Arts Festival,  and L’EGO Show.

Antigone will feature other dancers Trần Minh, Trần Minh Quang, Hà Kiều Anh and Trần Hải Linh. 

Musicial producer is Ian Richter who operates through a number of artistic personas. His sonic activity includes performing in clubs, composing for contemporary dance, and designing sound for film and the visual arts.

Contemporary dance Antigone is a part of Antigone project which is funded by Goethe Institute in Hà Nội. Under the project, Vietnamese artists in Hà Nội and HCM City are invited to perform Antigone. 

The works have been performed from November 6 to March 19. 

Audience members need to ensure that they have had two doses of COVID vaccine and have a certificate of COVID negative test within 72 hours before the event.

The audience will sit at marked seats in the auditorium and comply with social distancing regulations. — VNS