In recent years the Vietnamese dance industry has been lit up by a new generation of emerging female artists who dance with all their heart and talent. Tuoi Tre introduces several outstanding individuals known for their contribution to the art of dancing.

To Nhu

To Nhu, who is currently a teacher at the Dance School of Ho Chi Minh City, took her first steps into dancing at a very early age.

She received a scholarship to study ballet at the Kiev National Dance School in Ukraine when she was 11. After eight years of hard studying, Nhu graduated in 1992, returned to Vietnam that year, and worked with the October Ballet troupe for the next ten years.

“Our troupe’s teachers were always passionate. My love of dancing has never ended, but I couldn’t afford my life with dancing. Sometimes we would only be invited to a national dance festival in Hanoi during a whole year. I had to receive help from my family to support my life. So the decision to say goodbye to the troupe in 2002 was a tough choice, but there was nothing else I could do,” Nhu said.

After quitting dancing, she started studying graphic design in the hope of finding a job she could earn a living through. But it seems she was predestined to be a dancer. After meeting choreographer Tan Loc, head of the Arabesque Dance Troupe, a new chapter of her life began.

Nhu calls it “a job which can both help her live with her dream and real life.”

She is currently working as a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer for the troupe, besides teaching at the Dance School of Ho Chi Minh City.

At age 40, Nhu still has a beautiful body thanks to her regular practicing – scheduled from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm every day – a way to show her passion for the career and to prove that aging does not matter.

“I told my students to stop me if they see that I cannot stand on stage anymore, otherwise I will dance for the rest of my life,” she said while talking about her never-ending love of dancing.

John Huy Tran

Since returning to Vietnam in 2006, Vietnamese-Canadian dancer John Huy Tran has become a familiar face to many Vietnamese dance fans after being named a jury member of several dancing shows.

He is a dance professional with a background in fitness, martial arts, and gymnastics.

Three years of studying professional dancing at the National Dance School of Canada allowed John to build a platform to conquer the art of dancing.

When he first arrived in Vietnam, he found it hard to adjust to the weather as well as life here.

However, John is now able to speak Vietnamese well. The dancer has won more and more fans by continuously getting invited to be the choreographer for singing shows like “Vietnam Idol”, or on the judge panel of dancing competitions such as “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Last year John – who runs a dance center in HCMC with several friends – brought a jazz dance show titled “Jazz!” to the city. The show received positive feedback from local critics and audience members.

“The important thing is that living here makes me optimistic and positive that I can get over any difficulty,” John shared.

Thuy Chi

Female dancer and choreographer Ta Thuy Chi, born in 1986, spent years studying dance in China, starting from the age of 12.

At first living far away from home was not easy for her due to the language barrier, she recalled.

Chi said she had to use a combination of English, Vietnamese, and body language to communicate with people.

After years of hard studying overseas, Chi returned home where she continues her dream of living under the lights of dancing stages and contributing to the development of the local dance industry.

In October 2013, Chi staged her first show, “We Were There,” together with dancer Ngoc Anh in HCMC to mark her return following four years of studying at the Beijing Dance Institute since 2009. 

Chi is now teaching at the Dance School of Ho Chi Minh City.

Tan Loc

Currently the show director and choreographer of the Arabesque Dance Troupe, one of the most famous dance groups in Vietnam, Tan Loc is considered a big brother to many young dancers.

Loc has been a choreographer and dancer at the HCMC Puppet Theater, HCMC Symphony and Orchestra Theater, 5B Drama Theater, and Hoa Binh Theater.

He studied at and graduated from the Fujisato Ballet School in Tokyo in 2002.

Six years later, Loc founded Arabesque which has become more and more popular with local audiences through its shows, including “Chuyen Ke Nhung Chiec Giay” (The Story of the Shoes), “Moc,” (Simplicity) and “Suong Som” (Early Fog).

“We put lots of effort into bringing a show to audiences. Since we don’t have any sponsorship, we have to use our own money earned from our performances in the city,” Loc said. The choreographer has confirmed that he will organize at least one show a year to satisfy his passion for dancing, and bring dancing to audiences. 

In October 2014, Arabesque will tour America. Loc hopes that the tour will be a new chance to encourage the troupe’s members to keep devoting themselves to their career.