“Nutcracker” through the Dream of a Vietnamese Girl
Written by Nguyen Duc Tung for Hanoi Grapevine
Do not copy or re-post without permission from the writer and Hanoi Grapevine
Vietnam National Opera & Ballet (VNOB) had two successful nights performing the ballet
“Nutcracker – Wonder Dream” on December 5th and 6th at the Hanoi Opera House.
Based on the original works of renowned composer P.I.Tchaikovsky, the story was retold the story through the dream of a Vietnamese girl named Quynh Lan by more than 60 artists from VNOB. This was also the highlight of this ballet. The successful performance is the collaboration result between the orchestra and the conductor conductor Dong Quang Vinh.
“Nutcracker – Wonder Dream” started with the Christmas party at Quynh Lan’s house. The little girl got a toy soldier shaped nutcracker as a present. That night in her dream, Quynh Lan saw the nutcracker turned into a handsome prince, protect her from the Mouse King and took her to a wonderful land.
During the performance, the audience could clearly see the Vietnamese traits blended harmoniously Western features. The most admirable thing is the formation of a Christmas tree made from nón lá – a iconic Vietnamese item. Furthermore, the artists from VNOB also cleverly combined traditional ballet with Vietnamese folk dance.
The performance also featured dances from different cultures in the world, such as the flamenco or the dance of Cham Pa. Art director Tran Ly Ly; choreographer Meritorious Artist Luu Thu Lan and Meritorious Artist Nguyen Hong Phong wanted to clear all barriers and create a borderless world where every child shares the same dream and follow the same flow of emotions. All the acts, though featured different cultural characteristics, created a harmonious whole, giving the audience a sense of freshness and innocence.
Foreign audiences shared that they had watched this ballet before, and what this version brought about went beyond their expectations. As for Vietnamese audiences, this is an opportunity to get closer to the fine art of ballet.
An excerpt from the performance:
Some photos taken from the performance:
