A scene from the performance. — Photo courtesy of H2Q Dance Company

HÀ NỘI — A contemporary Vietnamese hip-hop performance, 129BPM, will be showcased at this year's George Town Festival in Malaysia, the leading performing arts festival in Asia.

The performance will be publicly presented on August 4 and 5 at the Dewan Sri Pinang Historical Theatre in George Town on Malaysia's Penang Island.

Choreographed by Vietnamese-French artist Bùi Ngọc Quân, 129BPM is a raw and spiritual quest that explores the fragile balance between individuality and collectivity.

As the dancers push their physical and emotional limits, their bodies become vessels for resistance, longing and release, posing the urgent question: can we find a shared rhythm that allows us to move together, even in our differences?

The 70-minute performance intertwines street dance with contemporary folk music. Anchored by the rhythm of 129 beats per minute – the average tempo of a heart under strain – the work transforms the stage into a visceral journey through identity, dissonance and human connection in an increasingly urbanised world.

129BPM was co-produced by H2Q Dance Company and the Goethe-Institut HCM City in 2024. It marks a milestone as the first Vietnamese theatrical work to be showcased at the George Town Festival. It also represents Quân’s highly anticipated Southeast Asian debut after 25 years with the acclaimed Belgian company Les Ballets C de la B.

The 70-minute performance intertwines street dance with contemporary folk music.— Photo courtesy of H2Q Dance Company

First launched in 2010, the George Town Festival is an annual arts festival held in Penang, Malaysia, celebrating the UNESCO World Heritage designation awarded to George Town in 2008. Since then, the festival has become a major arts event in Asia, attracting around 250,000 visitors in 2015 and connecting the public with local and international artists.

This annual festival honours the cultural and artistic diversity of Penang through a wide range of art forms, including dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film, photography and more. Events are often held in historic buildings, charming alleys, theatres and various locations throughout the city.

Quân is an innovative choreographer currently working in Việt Nam and Belgium. Throughout his creative journey, he consistently experiments with projects that involve non-professional dancers.

He studied classical ballet at the Việt Nam Dance School and contemporary dance in France at the invitation of Bernadette Tripier. He has worked with renowned dance companies, including the ballet troupe at the Hà Nội Opera House, and collaborated with choreographer Alain Platel at Les Ballets C de la B, one of Europe's leading dance companies.

In 2014, he collaborated with the HCM City Symphony Orchestra for a tour around Việt Nam of the contemporary dance project Out of Context: For Pina, choreographed by Alain Platel. Notable works include Mái Nhà (Roof) at the HCM City Theatre (2016) and Đáy Mắt (In the Eye), created in partnership with the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet in 2018. VNS