Photo by the Goethe Institute
The sixth Europe meets Asia in Contemporary Dance Festival will take place at the Youth Theatre in Hanoi from September 21-25 and then move to the Municipal Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City from September 25 to 27.
Started in 2011 as a small initiative between three countries, the festival has grown in popularity and size. This year’s event will feature dance artists from six countries including Germany, France, Israel, Japan, Austria, and Vietnam.
According to a representative from the Goethe Institute, the festival’s organiser, contemporary dancers will give performances featuring both real and imaginative ideas along with a deep exploration of the soul of contemporary people. Multimedia will support the choreography.
A highlight of the festival will be a joint performance between German choreographer Riki von Falken and Vietnamese artist Nguyen Trinh Thi.
The dance depicts traditional Hanoian culture which is now fading away as people’s lifestyle rapidly changed.
The festival, which is jointly held by the European Union National Institutes for Culture, the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet and the Goethe Institute, aims to promote Vietnamese contemporary dance and promote greater collaboration between local and international artists.