Kliselamef (Female Silk, choreographed by Nguyễn Tấn Lộc) is among the two works from Arabesque Việt Nam to perform at the International Festival of Contemporary Dance in Italy from July 19 to 30. – Photo courtesy of Arabesque Việt Nam

ITALY – Arabesque Việt Nam, a neo-classical and contemporary dance company from HCM City, is the only representative from Asia to participate in the International Contemporary Dance Festival 2023 in Italy on July 19-30.

The event is being held in Salerno, Perugia, and Naples, by contemporary dance agencies like Campania Danza, Borderline Danza, Dance Gallery, Campano Della Danza, and Artgarage, with over 20 shows.

Arabesque Việt Nam will perform for five nights, starting from July 21, featuring Kliselamef (Female Silk, choreographed by Nguyễn Tấn Lộc) and Melting (choreographed by Lim SunYoung).

Kliselamef is a work dedicated to Vietnamese women, inspired by the old Vietnamese quote "Thân em như tấm lụa đào" (A woman's body is as soft as silk) and images of ancient women, said choreographer Nguyễn Tấn Lộc.

Using silk áo dài designed by Kiều Việt Liên, Lộc hopes to merge the softness of Vietnamese silk and dance moves to promote the country's symbol.

The music for Kliselamef is also among the most impressive elements of the performance, Lộc added.

"It was done in Việt Nam, France and Taiwan (China) by musician Tôn Thất An, composed with Vietnamese traditional instruments like the moon lute and European ones like the cello," Lộc said.

With Melting, Arabesque has worked with choreographer Lim SunYoung for over two years to make it suitable for indoor and outdoor performances, he said.

Lộc said it was challenging for the team to work online with musicians and choreographers because of the pandemic and the geographical distance, but they tried their best to bring out the story behind each work.

"We hope to bring a unique and special experience for audiences through our soulful dance," he said.

Claudio Malangone, founder of Borderline Danza, said that the members of Arabesque have showed their great ability and professionalism through their performances over the years.

Borderline Danza worked with Arabesque Việt Nam in the Hồ Chí Minh International Dance Festival (2013-2018) and the Women Made 2022 project in Italy and Việt Nam.

Renowned dancers like Carolyn Carlson, Ambra Senatore, and Marco D'Agostin will also perform at the festival.

There are other activities during the festival, like outdoor performances at museums and national art galleries, workshops, and forums on dance.

The International Contemporary Dance Festival in 2013 and 2016 was organised by Arabesque Việt Nam and the HCM City Opera House. – VNS