Amateur ballet dancers, mostly children, will perform Swan Lake in Hà Nội on July 27. Photos coutersy of Art 4 All

 
HÀ NỘI — For the first time in Việt Nam, Tchaikovsky's classic Swan Lake ballet will be performed by young amateur dancers at Đại Nam Theatre on July 27. 

Swan Lake is among the most popular ballets in the world since it premiered in 1877 in a performance by the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. In 2015, it was performed in full for the first time in this country by artists from the Việt Nam National Opera and Ballet. 

Almost all of the 65 amateur dancers are children, who will perform a 45-minute version of the ballet.

The original version is a story of love, betrayal and sacrifice. However, in this version, the audience will not see the main character, the Prince, according to Trần Thu Hương, the show's theatre director.  

12-year old Minh Minh will play the White Swan.

"We want to highlight the strength of unity, and show that good always wins over evil," Hương said. "The strength of a flock of swans can defeat the evil sorcerer and the black swan to gain peace.

"We keep the meaning of the story, but reinterpret it in our own way."

Hương is a former ballerina from the Việt Nam Theatre of Contemporary Art. She received a Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences at Moscow State Art and Culture University. 

Two leading roles, the white and the black swans, will be danced by pre-teens Phương Hà and Minh Minh. They have learnt ballet for several years as a hobby. Last month, Phương Hà placed third at the International Competition of Classical and Contemporary Dance Performers with Maria Taglioni's Le Papillon (The Butterfly) in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

Phương Hà rehearses the role of the Black Swan on the floor.

The ballet will still perform the iconic Dance of The Little Swans and Dance of The Big Swans. Eight dancers led by artist Tô Nhật Huy will take the stage in the Dance of The Little Swans, making the ballet unique. 

Huy is a circus artist and magician who currently teaches at the Việt Nam Circus and Variety Training School. He won the gold medal at the fourth National Magic Festival in 2023.  

Khánh Vy, Cẩm Anh and Mỹ An will perform the Dance of The Big Swans, in which powerful little ballerinas soar through the air, creating a stunning display of strength, stamina and grace.

Swan Lake will begin at 7.30pm. For tickets and information, call Huyền at 0977377456. — VNS