VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will premiere a contemporary dance entitled Đáy Mắt (In the Eye) – a collaboration by choreographer Bui Ngoc Quan and musician Tri Minh on August 19 at Ha Noi Opera House. 

Smooth moves: Choreographer Bui Ngoc Quan and VNOB’s dancers rehearse for the performance. Photo courtesy of VNOB

The two artists worked together to create In the Eye which is inspired by choreographer Quan’s impressions of Hanoi.

“One of my strongest impressions when I landed was of the city being a mess,” said Quan. “It seems to be a community mess at first glance, but actually it’s personal. And I think the mess also has its own beauty.”

The dance will draw on a series of fictional and real events which will inspire both old and fresh emotions among the audience. 

"The performance by VNOB’s dancers with choreographer Quan and musician Minh is full of emotion which will inspire the audience," said VNOB director Tran Ly Ly. 

“It is difficult to appraise emotion but it can win the audience’s heart.”

Quan is an acclaimed choreographer. After studied dance at the Viet Nam Dance School and working at VNOB he began to work abroad including France, Germany, Hungary, Brazil and Belgium. 

In 2011, he joined the Australian Dance Theatre to tour with Be Yourself, the year after he started collaboration with the Swiss 3art3 Company as director and choreographer for the dance and music theatre project K and later Untold. 

The following years he worked on projects with non-dancers including children for a war memorial in Ypres and prisoners in the jail of Bruges in Belgium. His latest European project was a collaboration with Platform K for a duet between a disabled dancer and a musician.

In between his European projects, Quan also worked on projects in Vietnam introduced a series of classes and workshops at dance schools in Hanoi and HCM City. 

In 2012 he was invited to attend the Autumn Melodies Festival held by HCM Ballet and Symphony Orchestra. Quan is currently artistic assistance of Alain Platel who is the founder of Belgian Les Ballets C de la B dance company.

Source: VNS