Performing artist: Dancer Hải Anh will perform in Hà Nội and HCM City. The S-Tour will bring dance closer to the people. Photo courtesy of Đông Tây Promotion

HCM CITY – In recent years, local choreographers and dancers have brought dance close to the people, who often ignored this art form in the past.

Veteran choreographer Tuyết Minh is a pioneer in popularising contemporary dance.

Rising to fame after a dance contest in 2001, Minh established the Khám Phá (Discovery) Dance Company four years later.

Minh, who now is an art advisor for the company, said: “The company provides performance opportunities for many young and talented dancers, as well as people who have a passion for dance across the country.”

“We have worked hard to offer audiences quality dance performances,” said 35-year-old choreographer.

The company has staged famous Vietnamese and international works like Carmen, Quan Âm Thị Kính (Goddess of Mercy Thị Kính), and Thời Gian (Time).

In 2014, it presented dance performance Con Tạo Xoay (Spinning Top) in Hà Nội and HCM City, and Tình Yêu Hà Nội (Love for Hà Nội) in Hà Nội in 2015,  receiving a warm welcome from audiences, especially  from young people.

“I admire the dancers who gave excellent performances in the show. They gave me a better understanding of dance through their beautiful moves,” said Nguyễn Hồng Khanh, a student at Hùng Vương University, who attended the Con Tạo Xoay performance in HCM City.

This year, Minh and her troupe will introduce a dance tour called S-Tour to audiences in Hà Nội and HCM City.

Minh said: “The tour will help people understand more about different genres of dance which are becoming popular in Việt Nam.”

“It is a special event for youth, especially those who have passion in dance,” she added.

S-Tour will feature highly appraised performances in different styles from contemporary to ballroom to hip hop, which have been presented on Thử Thách Cùng Bước Nhảy, the Vietnamese version of US dance show, So You Think You Can Dance.

All of them were created by Vietnamese talented choreographers like Minh, John Huy Trần and Việt Max.

“Every beautiful move in the show will carry each dancer’s story of their road to pursue their dreams,” Minh said.

The performance will feature Hải Anh, winner of the fourth season of the dance show.

The 25-year-old ballet dancer began dancing at the age of three, and graduated from the HCM City Dance School in 2008. She won several prizes at international dance competitions, like the International Modern Dance Competition in Seoul, Korea.

She will perform along with top performers from the reality show, and dancers from the company.

Anh said: “My friends and I are very excited about the show. We have practiced for two months to bring best performances for audiences. We are ready for the show.”

S-Tour were scheduled to take place  at HCM City’s Bến Thành Theatre on April 9.

Like Minh, many young dancers have different ways to introduce dance to the public.

Top dancers like Lâm Vinh Hải and Sơn Lâm have released dance videos on popular social media websites like YouTube and Zing, which have attracted thousands of views.

Hải, winner of the first season of So You Think You Can Dance, said: “Uploading videos on social media websites is the best and fastest way to get attention from the people, especially youth.”

Since his win, the 27-year-old dancer has offered four dance videos titled Live to Laugh, Cha Mẹ Không Cho (Parents Don’t Allow), Gift for Mom and Happy.

All of them have sent a message to people to live better. They have been highly praised by audiences, critics and choreographers.

“Hải is one of most talented dancers in Việt Nam. His work guides other young dancers,” said Nguyễn Hải, project manager of Đông Tây Promotion and producer of So You Think You Can Dance in Việt Nam.

“Dancers like Hải are becoming a bridge to connect professional dancers and people with passion for dance. They also help to change people’s minds and bring dance closer to audiences,” Hải added. — VNS