HÀ NỘI - Israel’s well-known Halleluya Dance Group and Polish MM3 will perform at the opening ceremony of the Huế Festival 2016 on Friday after their performances in Hà Nội.

The performance entitled Spirit of Israel by the Halleluya Dance Group was held in Hà Nội’s Opera House to celebrate the long-lasting and strong ties between Việt Nam and Israel. It was held on the occasion of the celebration of Israel’s 68th Independence Day and the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"The dances by Halleluya reflect the influence of the immigration of the Jewish people from all corners of the world to the land of Israel, the influence of our religion and tradition as well as modern Israel,” said Meraiv Eilon Shahar, ambassador of Israel to Việt Nam.

“I have always believed that culture is important in our bilateral relations if we are to understand one another. I believe today Vietnamese have a better understanding about Israel and Israelis, and these performances are part of our continued efforts to bring our two people closer," she said.

Founded in 1988 by choreographer and artistic director Barry Avidan, the fresh and dazzling Halleluya Dance Group has swept Israel and the world with its youthful spirit, love of dance and diversified repertoires. The group has already appeared on many TV networks and many stages in the world, providing its colourful performances to dance lovers in Israel and abroad.

The Halleluya Dance Group brings to the audience a multitude of dances styles and a wide selection of modern folkloric and character dances with a touch of tradition, humour and ethnicity.

“We want to bring to the public in Việt Nam the message of friendship and most importantly, the message of peace to all of you,” said Barry Avidan at the press conference held by the Israeli Embassy yesterday.

The award-winning director also designed costumes for the dancers, inspired by Israeli traditional culture.

Polish trio

One of the most interesting young bands in Polish improvised music, the trio Michał Milczarek, or MM3, will hold a concert tour in Việt Nam starting tomorrow.

Consisting of Michał Milczarek, a guitarist, composer and arranger, Mateusz Modrzejewski, the drummer, and Bartek Łuczkiewicz, the bassist, the trio has created instrumental music that combines modern jazz, rock and electronic.

Every member of the group has worked and performed with many big names in the Polish music scene such as Edyta Górniak, Michał Urbaniak, Maria Sadowska, and Ras Luta.

They are also among artists performing in several major music festivals, including the International Ethno-Jazz Festival Flugery Lwowa and Jazz Bez Festival in Ukraine, the Festival of Jewish Culture and the Rzeszów Jazz Festival in Warsaw.

The band was named the Jazz-Phonographic Debut of the Year. So far, they have released three records, including the EP mini-album The Big Game in 2012, the album Squirrels and Butterflies in 2014 and the newly released Ambient Works. All have received positive reviews from both critics and audiences.

Their performances in Việt Nam, which have been co-organised by the Polish Embassy in Hà Nội and the Plateaux Foundation, are part of the project Jazz Po Polsku, which aims to further promote Polish jazz among international audiences.

During their concerts tour in Việt Nam, the trio will present music pieces from their debut album Squirrels and Butterflies and the recently released Ambient Works.

In Hà Nội, the MM3 performance will start at 9pm tomorrow at Hanoi Rock City, 27/52 Tô Ngọc Vân Street, Tây Hồ District. Entry costs VNĐ100,000.

Following that show, the trio will travel to the former imperial capital city of Huế, where they will join the biennial Huế Festival with two performances on Saturday at the Duyệt Thị Ðường Theatre, and on Sunday on an open-air stage at Bia Quốc Học Square. Both concerts will take place from 8:45pm to 9:45pm. – VNS