Twenty students from Vietnam Dance College enjoyed a rare chance to learn about Indian classical dancing art in Hanoi on September 12.

The single-night performance was staged by dancer Sonal Mansingh, who was brought to Vietnam under a programme jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam .

Sonal Mansingh is the founder of the Delhi-based Centre for Indian Classical Dances (CICD). She has been imparting skills of classical dancing styles such as Odissi, Bharathanatyam, Kuchipudi and Chhau for more than 40 years and was presented with the Padma Vibhushan – the 2 nd ranking civil award in India .

According to counselor Ravi Shankar of the Indian embassy in Vietnam, the performance-teaching programme is an important cultural activity in 2012 as it marks the 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Vietnam and five years since the two countries’ establishment of strategic partnership.