Dancing in Vietnamese theatres
Much of Vietnamese theatre and Vietnamese music are intertwined with each other, as well as with Vietnamese dance. Popular theatre forms such as Hát tuồng, Hát chèo, and Cải lương all often feature dance, however these dances are performed in a liberal manner without set rules, unlike other more specific dance styles.
Contents
- Dancing in Vietnamese theatres
- Dances performed at festivals and important occasions
- Imperial court dances
- References
Dances performed at festivals and important occasions
The lion dance was imported from China into Vietnamese culture where it developed its own distinct style. It is performed primarily at traditional festivals such as Tết (Lunar new year) and Tết trung thu (Mid-Autumn Festival), but also during other occasions such as the opening of a new business. The lion dance is highly symbolic, supposedly used to ward off evil spirits. There are an abundance of styles and the lion dances are typically accompanied by martial artists and acrobatics.
Imperial court dances
Accompanied with Nhã nhạc (court music of the Trần Dynasty to the Nguyễn Dynasty) were the intricate dances of the Vietnamese Imperial court. Nhã Nhạc means "elegant music" when translated. While assuredly court dances existed before nhã nhạc in particular emerged, it is the Nguyễn Dynasty form that is still highly preserved today, and has been declared along with the whole of nhã nhạc as an Intangible cultural heritage.
These dances require great skill and the dancers are often dressed in extravagant costumes. Currently, they are performed at festivals in Huế (múa cung đình Huế - court dance) or other special (often televised) occasions, in order to promote the traditional arts. Some of the most popular dances include (among others):
The meaning of "múa" extends to Múa rối nước - water puppetry