Twice a week, a group of more than 20 young people gathers together tolearn and practise Ly Truong Me Dop (Village Head and Mrs.Dop) – anexcerpt from the famous cheo (Vietnamese traditional opera) repertoireQuan Am Thi Kinh.
This class is the focal point of an art projectthat aims to get young people excited about cheo – a traditional artform that's at risk of fading.
Initiated by a group of fourstudents in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the one-month project has beendeveloped from a concept that won the innovative ideas contest Toi 20(I'm Twenty) in January. The students used their prize money to evolvetheir idea.
"Sadly, due to the rapid increasing of globalintegration, many Vietnamese young people have ignored Vietnamesetraditional art forms," Nguyen Ngoc Anh, one of the project's initiatorslamented, "as they are absorbedly interested in cultural trendsimported from abroad. This causes the traditional art forms, includingcheo, to lose their reputations."
According to a student surveyAnh and her teammates conducted, 89 percent said their schools'offerings in traditional culture and art courses were seriously lacking.
Nearlya quarter of the students expressed their wish to learn about cheo, butcomplained that they can't find any classes or courses.
That survey inspired the group to launch their project last month, inviting young people to join.
"Byopening the class on cheo, we just want to kindle the passion for cheoof young people," Anh said. "The class is also to connect people whoshare the love for this art form."
Since the beginning of July,24 young people – mainly college and university students, between 14 and23 years old – have gathered twice a week at the CinematographyUniversity, Hanoi to take their first cheo lessons.
Cheo lecturerTrinh Thanh Huyen and stage director Le Tuan Cuong were invited toconduct the class, which equips students with singing, dancing andacting skills.
Huyen said she was very surprise when she got theoffer to conduct the class because, "all the project's initiators andclass members are very young. I'm very moved to see those young peoplehave a special interest in cheo."
"Within the limited time of thecourse, I don't have ambition to teach them to become professionalartists. I just want to equip them with basic knowledge on cheo, thus todevelop further their passion with the art form," Huyen added.
Alongsidethe practice in class, the students recently had an exchange withexperienced musicians of the Vietnam Cheo Theatre, who shared theirknowledge of different musical instruments.
The class will alsotook a trip to Ninh Binh – the cradle of the traditional art form sincethe 10th century – where the young people will meet local artisans.
Toconclude the course, on July 31, the young members will stage aperformance, which is expected to take place at the Kim Lien CommunalHouse in Dong Da district.
"When the project completed," saidDinh Thao, one of the project's initiators and a student of traditionalmusic at the Music Academy, "we expect to establish a cheo club withmany practical activities, aiming to bring the art form to as many youngpeople as possible. The club will gather all people who joined in theproject as well as other cheo lovers."-VNA
This class is the focal point of an art projectthat aims to get young people excited about cheo – a traditional artform that's at risk of fading.
Initiated by a group of fourstudents in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the one-month project has beendeveloped from a concept that won the innovative ideas contest Toi 20(I'm Twenty) in January. The students used their prize money to evolvetheir idea.
"Sadly, due to the rapid increasing of globalintegration, many Vietnamese young people have ignored Vietnamesetraditional art forms," Nguyen Ngoc Anh, one of the project's initiatorslamented, "as they are absorbedly interested in cultural trendsimported from abroad. This causes the traditional art forms, includingcheo, to lose their reputations."
According to a student surveyAnh and her teammates conducted, 89 percent said their schools'offerings in traditional culture and art courses were seriously lacking.
Nearlya quarter of the students expressed their wish to learn about cheo, butcomplained that they can't find any classes or courses.
That survey inspired the group to launch their project last month, inviting young people to join.
"Byopening the class on cheo, we just want to kindle the passion for cheoof young people," Anh said. "The class is also to connect people whoshare the love for this art form."
Since the beginning of July,24 young people – mainly college and university students, between 14 and23 years old – have gathered twice a week at the CinematographyUniversity, Hanoi to take their first cheo lessons.
Cheo lecturerTrinh Thanh Huyen and stage director Le Tuan Cuong were invited toconduct the class, which equips students with singing, dancing andacting skills.
Huyen said she was very surprise when she got theoffer to conduct the class because, "all the project's initiators andclass members are very young. I'm very moved to see those young peoplehave a special interest in cheo."
"Within the limited time of thecourse, I don't have ambition to teach them to become professionalartists. I just want to equip them with basic knowledge on cheo, thus todevelop further their passion with the art form," Huyen added.
Alongsidethe practice in class, the students recently had an exchange withexperienced musicians of the Vietnam Cheo Theatre, who shared theirknowledge of different musical instruments.
The class will alsotook a trip to Ninh Binh – the cradle of the traditional art form sincethe 10th century – where the young people will meet local artisans.
Toconclude the course, on July 31, the young members will stage aperformance, which is expected to take place at the Kim Lien CommunalHouse in Dong Da district.
"When the project completed," saidDinh Thao, one of the project's initiators and a student of traditionalmusic at the Music Academy, "we expect to establish a cheo club withmany practical activities, aiming to bring the art form to as many youngpeople as possible. The club will gather all people who joined in theproject as well as other cheo lovers."-VNA
