By Thu Anh

HCM CITY— Female dancer and choreographer Tố Như will perform in the ballet The Ballerina in HCM City this month, marking her 30-year career in ballet.  

The ballet, to be held on September 23 and 24 at the Opera House, was choreographed by Nguyễn Ngọc Anh, who works in Hong Kong.

The 60-minute event includes an excerpt from Don Quixote, a popular dance that brought Như fame at home and abroad. 

Như will dance with young artists from Arabesque of HCM City, a dance troupe that combines traditional and contemporary dances.

The 42-year-old woman, a lecturer in ballet at the HCM City School of Dance, said she had embarked on a personal journey that she hoped would contribute to the development of ballet in Việt Nam.

"I was very sad when I discovered that the ballet is not popular with local youth and that it had been difficult to stage it," said Như in an interview with local media.  

After becoming involved in her art, Như understood the most important thing for dancers is that "they can dance anywhere and anytime they want. And no one and no event can limit their passion for dancing," she said.

Born in a traditional family, Như’s love for ballet began when she was a child. When she was five, she studied with professional dancers at the HCM City Cultural House for Children. 

"I want to follow my teachers’ footsteps, teaching and leading children to become professional ballet dancers in the future," she said.  

In 2003, Như received a scholarship to study at Bates University in Lewiston, Maine. Her courses focused on modern repertory, singing, jazz techniques and yoga skills.

“The trip to Lewiston made me feel very proud of my work. I’m a Vietnamese dancer and I work confidently with my foreign peers who have had better working conditions than me," said Như, who has faced challenges to pursue her career. 

Như is the key dancer in many programmes at home and abroad.

She has performed dance routines such as Khoảng Khắc Mùa Xuân (The Moment of Spring), Carmen and Don Quixote, all of which were directed by experienced choreographers like Kim Quy and Hoàng Phi Long.  

Unlike other talented dancers such as Hoàng Châu and Phúc Hùng from the HCM City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra, Như works as a freelance dancer.

She spends time training students and children at HCM City School of Dance and HCM City Cultural House for Children.

Như has also created dance works for children that combine traditional and modern styles.

"Professional dancers need to improve their knowledge and performance skills every day. They also should learn a modern repertory, body expression, inner emotion, jazz techniques and yoga body postures," she said.  

The Ballerina will be staged at 8pm at Opera House, 7 Lam Sơn Square, District 1. Tickers are available at the theatre’s box office. — VNS