Young dancers perform during the contemporary dance Kiều’s Tale at the HCM City Opera House last year. Photo courtesy of Nguyễn Phúc Hùng

HCM CITY A contemporary dance based on Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kiều), the masterpiece by the great poet Nguyễn Du, will be restaged at the HCM City Opera House on June 22.

The dance is directed by Jung Sun-Goo and choreographed by Chun Yoo-Oh of South Korea. It premiered in HCM City in March last year.

The work recounts the life, trials and tribulations of Thúy Kiều, a beautiful and talented young woman who sacrificed herself to save her father and younger brother from prison.

Kiều sold herself into marriage to a middle-aged man, unaware of his profession as a pimp. He later forced her into prostitution, marking the start of a series of tragic events in her life.

Chun will bring three “Kiều” on stage representing the character’s life, spirit and future portrayed by Trần Hoàng Yến, Nguyễn Thu Trang and Phan Tiểu Ly.

Yến said: “My dancers and I were nervous portraying Kiều. We spent time on researching Kiều and how to express her feeling and pain.”

Chun worked with Vietnamese choreographer Nguyễn Phúc Hùng to offer training to young dancers from the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) and the Y.O. Saigon Dance Ensemble, including performers Sùng A Lùng, Phan Thái Bình, Hà Khánh Vy and Hồ Phi Điệp .

She also brought staff from South Korea to be in charge of sound and light effects and stage design.

Hùng said: “After the premiere last year, we received praise and comments from the audiences. These comments helped us make some changes in expression of feelings, dance language, and visual and sound effects.”

The show will also feature People’s Artist Thanh Hoài, who will perform ca trù (ceremonial singing), and Korean traditional vocalist Kang Kwon-Soon.

The music accompanying the dance will be played by dàn T’rưng (bamboo xylophone) player Cao Hồ Nga, bamboo flutist Trần Khánh Tường, and đàn tỳ bà (a pear-shaped guitar with four strings) player Nghiêm Thu.

Kiều’s Tale dance will begin at 8 pm at the Opera House, 7 Lam Sơn Square, in District 1. Tickets are available at the venue. VNS