VietNamNet Bridge – Saigon is a hub for people of different nationalities coming to work or settle down. Each of them in some way contributes to the diversity and the beauty of this city. Chun Yoo Oh, a Korean businesswoman and also a dancing professor who has lived in HCMC for ten years, wish to contribute to her second home many dancing events to help promote cultures and enhance mutual understanding between peoples of the two countries.

Korean businesswoman/dancing professor Chun Yoo Oh practices in HCMC’s District 2 - PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHUN YOO OH

Madame Chun, as Chun Yoo Oh is called respectfully and tenderly by many people, gives other people a warm and pleasant feeling to talk to.

The slender woman in her fifties, despite busy schedules of an owner of a textile and garment company in Dong Nai Province, still saves her time to read books, compose prayers, practice dancing and initiate more ideas for arts events in Saigon.

During the past ten years living in Vietnam, dancing has been a key factor that has helped her to overcome the loneliness of a foreigner and the barrier of language. However, she feels thankful as such difficulties have instilled inspirations for her dance works and give her more experience in life.

“Dancing has such a fascination to me. I can spend time, devotion, effort and money to do things related to dancing. Furthermore, using the arts of dancing to promote (mutual understanding of) the cultures and peoples of Vietnam and Korea are my dreams,” she said.

To prove her ambitions, Madame Chun invested her own money to host “Into the time” concert of the Ensemble Sinawi, one of the leading traditional music troupes from South Korea to the HCMC Conservatory of Music last year. Participants in the event had a chance to learn more about Korea’s and Vietnam’s traditional music and dance moves.

Lately, she is preparing for a dance show called “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 on December 1.

The show which is scripted and directed by Jung Sun Gu is choreographed by Madame Chun. It has eleven acts telling stories about life of women, especially Vietnamese and Korean mothers who have lived under the bonds of old society. Especially, Chun Yoo Oh herself will perform five acts in the program with theme music of Arirang songs composed by various musicians in the world. Other highlights are joint performances of musical players and dancers from Korea and Vietnam. Local popular dan bau (monochord) artist Le Hoai Phuong will have a live performance on stage accompanied with a traditional flute player from Korea. Phuong was a graduate from Vietnam National Academy of

Music and is pursuing a PhD degree at Hanyang University in South Korea.

Chun Yoo Oh told the Daily that “Arirang Saigon” took her two years to prepare for choreography and music and another five months for arranging the show.

“I wish to introduce and share a good dance work to audiences and hope they can feel my emotion too. I cannot estimate the success of this program but to me living in Vietnam and be able to host a show like this is a success,” she said.

Arirang is considered as a national song and treasure of typical Korean music and stated as the intangible heritage of humanity in 2012, as recognized by Unesco. Each province has different Arirang’s melody and lyrics but they have the same theme of separation and waiting.

The show’s name “Arirang Saigon” has a great meaning to Madame Chun as it marks her ten years living in Saigon. She puts the word Arirang next to Saigon to show people the place where she comes from, Saigon, a city of great energy.

The program which takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Monday is organized by HCMC Union of Friendship Organizations and HBSO with the support from the Embassy of Korea in Vietnam and the Vietnam-Korea Times. Tickets to the show are priced from VND80,000 to VND400,000.    

SGT/VNN