Ha Noi boasts more than 50 traditional dances, belonging to three forms which are folk, imperial and religious. Yet, nowadays there are only remaining about 20 dances, which are mainly the folk dances and basically practised at the acient villages’ festivals in Ha Noi.
Dragon dance
In the spiritual life of the Vietnamnese people, dragon symbolizes strength and prosperity, so the dragon dance tacitly has become a way of expression in a wish of the wealth. This is why, moving along with the life evolution, humans are striving to bring into fuller play their creativeness in enriching this form of art. If earlier, the dragon dance was purely to express joys in celebration of the grand ceremonies, wishing for favourable rains and winds, and peaceful and happy nation, nowadays it also stands for the essence of educating the sporting spirit, the tradition of being grateful to the benefactor and yearning for the richness and prosperity. The dragon dance is of two forms, either in single and in couple. Dragon dancer uses the handle to manupulate the dragon to fly, jump and somersault, making the shows of certain themes. Dancer’s costumes are simple, neat and unified in colour. The dragon dance is imposing with various versatile and lively movements i.e. saluting, lying-in-wait, flanking, far flying, descending, rolling, soaring, partial strolling, chasing pearl, holding a pearl in mouth,.. In the midst of the resounding jubilant sound and vivid flexible rhythm coming out from the arrangement of a large drum, cymbal and horn, the dragon dance has brought such an odd excitement and attractiveness to the audiences.
Drum carrying dance
This is a funny, playful and charming dance, which is often performed during village and communal house festivals in the region of Thang Long – Ha Noi. Such is a lovely and naughty image of unmarried boys with dancing talents and good-looking, intelligent faces disguised as girls in colourful multi-layer traditional dresses, or chiffon clothes together with kerchieves tied around their heads and carrying a long, small drum in front of their bellies. The drum carrying dance is a harmonious combination of short dancing steps, drum clapping, long crisscross footsteps and wide swinging arms over the drum surface. With movements of back-to-back body turning, postition interchange, regular swings, palm rolls, body flexes and jumps to be practised in cheerful rhythms at the two in four tempo, the dance has brought about great excitement, pleasure and energy.
Six worship dance
Six worship dance is a cultural product of Buddhism, often practised on the occassions of celebrating the Buddha’ birthday, Buddhist holiday (15th of the 7th of the Lunar calendar), inaugural ceremony of a pagoda and ceremony to invoke spirits for a statue. In performing this dance, middle-ranking buddhist female bonzes in monk’ robe and hat, with clasping hands go around the makeshift platform, prsenting six type of offerings to the superior Buddhas which include incense, flower, lights, tea, fruits, truncated cone of sticky rice. Whenever each of the above things is taken in hand to offer, the Buddhist monk will gently walk and follow the path of the character symbolizing the shape of such a worshipping object. For instance, presenting flowers, the monk goes along the the line of star aniseed, likewise tea for water character and sticky rice cake for the square-faced character… In general, the six worship dance is closely associated with many significant elements in the aspect of imaging. Entire dancers, holding lotus lamps in their hands, have formed a great and charming performance.
Bai Bong dance (one of the dances performed in ancient festival whereby the girls wore beautiful dresses and sang)
Traditionally, Bai Bong dance used to bear another name of “Bat Bai Bong”, which is one of the dances of the Ca Tru art – an original art performance of academic character, consisting of four types, namely the finger dance, the four supernatural creatures dance and Bai Bong dance. According to the legend and most recent studies, this dance had originated since Tran dynasty, and it was created by Tran Quang Khai to be performed at the imperial banquet hosted by King Tran Nhan Tong in celebration of the peaceful and prosperous national ceremony. The Bai Bong dance was frequently showed on the occassion of the grand ceremonies such as the Ancestor’s Death Anniversary of Ca Tru held on the third month of the lunar calendar. Besides, it was also practised at the influential and powerful spaces i.e. imperial palace or at major events like a nomination celebration and a longlivity wishing ceremony. Ca Tru artists regularly regard the Bai Bong as a dance used at the court attending rituals. Normally, there are at least 4 members in the Bai Bong’s dancing troupe. However, depending on the actual show space, the number of performers might double to either 8 or 16 persons, and it could be up to 32 dancers during the important events. As for its costumes, it is quite interesting to see young and beautiful girls wearing simple traditional dresses embroidered with gold and silver lame materials, cotton ball-fixed hats, carrying lotus shape lamps on their shoulders and skillfully handling paper made fans in and out by their hands. Coupled with the dancing troupe is a music band with the leader holding a drum to keep the common rhythm, while other members respectively playing a four chord and three chord guitars, a flat drum, a gong and a cylindrical drum. When playing as a whole, it creates sweet and joyful sounds, hence bring back to one’s peaceful experience.
Quoc Hai