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Aug 04, 2021 / 20:33

Online contemporary dance debuts to ease people’s tediousness

Through four ongoing online performances, Goethe Institut in Vietnam hopes to be able to entertain its audiences who are under social distancing measures due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The dance performance choreographed by renowned dancer Vu Ngoc Khai will be premiered online at 8pm, August 7 on the Youtube channel of the Goethe-Institut Vietnam.

Poster of 'The Nest' contemporary dance. Photo courtesy of Goethe Institut in Hanoi

‘The Nest’ is the premiere performance to kick start a series of online artistic functions introduced by Goethe Institut in Vietnam and broadcast live at 8pm every Saturday in August on Youtube. 

According to Vu Ngoc Khai, the idea for the dance piece ‘The Nest’ emanated from the ongoing pandemic.

It made people realize that their plans can become quite meaningless. The sudden movement restrictions across the continents have actually created distances and jailed people in their own homes and immediate surroundings.

“Thanks to the pandemic, people have learned the new humility. We experience how life slowed down. We see the world with new eyes. We pause and look forward to what is to come,” he said.

The dance also holds the aspiration of those searching for a tranquil space that they belong to, a peaceful place to hide, lean on, take a rest in their journey of finding a way to live in harmony with all the unpredictable changes of this modern world.

‘The Nest’ holds the aspiration of people who are searching for a tranquil space where they can live in harmony with all the unpredictable changes of the world. Photo: 1648kilomet

After the debut performance on August 7, Goethe-Institut Vietnam will let ‘The Nest’ be available for the audiences on its YouTube channel until 8pm on August 14.

The contemporary dance will be performed in collaboration with the music choreographer Tri Minh and the viola artist Tran Ngoc Thuy.

Choreographer and dancer Vu Ngoc Khai is also the creative director of 1648kilomet, a non-profit group that offers dance performances, workshops, and programs for local children and youth.

After graduating from Vietnamese Dance College in 2006, Khai made a name for himself as a dancer and choreographer in Vietnam and abroad. He has experience in performing and staging with various companies in the dance and theater industry in Vietnam and Europe. 

He began his career as a ballet dancer and switched to neoclassical style and eventually discovered his passion for contemporary dance. Some of Khai's works are ‘Dream’, ‘Morning Mist’, ‘Bottom of the Well, and ‘The Nest’.