VietNamNet Bridge – Chun Yoo Oh, also known as Madame Chun who is a Korean businesswoman and a dancing professor as well, will join hands with the HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) to revive the legend of Vietnam about the love of My Chau and Trong Thuy in a dancing performance entitled “Cay no” (Cross-Bow) at the City Opera House on June 2 at 7:30 p.m.

A file photo featuring Korean dancing professor Chun Yoo Oh in the “Arirang Saigon” program

Legend has it that in the 2nd century BC, the state of Au Lac owned a magical crossbow which was made from a nail of the Holy Turtle to protect the country from the northern invaders. However, Princess My Chau told the secret about this crossbow to her husband Prince Trong Thuy of the rival country. Trong Thuy stole the crossbow and left a fake one, leading Au Lac to lose in a battle.

On the way to escape the enemy, her father King Duong Vuong discovered his daughter throwing goose feather to mark the trait for Trong Thuy to follow. The King killed her and committed suicide by jumping into the sea. Trong Thuy who finally regretted for his action also jumped into a well to kill himself.  The history book Dai Viet su ki also had notes about this tragic legend. Co Loa ancient rampart in Hanoi still has the relics of a temple to worship these legendary characters and a water well where Trong Thuy killed himself after he found she was dead.

The history book published by Korea about three countries has a similar story about the love of Princess Nakrang and Prince Ho-dong who lost their lives due to the destruction of a magic book used to protect the country.

The program will be choreographed by Madame Chun with the participation of ten other dancers from HBSO. Jung Sun Goo will be the show’s director and script writer.

The dance show inspired by the lives of two princesses in the two countries is featured by traditional dance moves of Korea and the art of ballet in Vietnam. Chun Yoo Oh told the Daily that she wanted to share similar cultural aspects of Vietnam and Korea. She also expects to have a new dancing program in early December that is inspired from Vietnam’s and Korea’s histories.

Madame Chun has been living in Saigon for 10 years. She shows her ambition in creating quality art events to promote a mutual understanding between the two countries. Previously, she invested her own money in two concerts, “Into the time” featuring the Ensemble Sinawi, one of the leading traditional music troupes from South Korea to the HCMC Conservatory of Music in 2013 and another dance show named “Arirang Saigon” honoring the images of mothers and women by her performances as well as artists from Mulmatdol troupe from South Korea and the HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) at the City Opera House last December.

Chun Yoo Oh was a dancing professor at Seowon University in South Korea in the 1990s. She is currently doing business in HCMC.

Tickets are priced at VND80,000 to VND400,000 per person. For further information, call 08 3823 7498 (in Vietnamese), 0904 266 003 (in Korean), 0933 124 549 (in English).

SGT