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| Audience and the public "surrounding" art troupes at street festivals |
The audience warms our hearts!
On the evening of June 9, the Double Impro dance group, from Wallonie-Bruxelles, Belgium, was scheduled to perform and interact with the audience on the stage in front of Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted.
That night, it started to rain, and the rain became heavier and heavier. On the stage, the artists were worried because it was almost time for the show, but the rain had not stopped yet. Time passed by. They were even more impatient when hundreds of audience were wearing raincoats, holding umbrellas, and waiting to enjoy the modern dances of the artists from the country of the "old continent."
Seeing no signs of the rain stopping, Double Impro artists decided to perform in the rain. The artists continued to send hip-hop dances to the audience on a wet stage. The lights shone down on the stage, and the artist and the rain seemed to blend together. Under the stage, the audience cheered and clapped endlessly after a difficult move the dance group had just performed.
Artist Elora Pasin from Double Impro Dance Group shared that it was raining heavily, and the group tried to perform their best even though they knew accidents could happen. It was raining, so the performances were not as beautiful and difficult as when the stage was dry. Yet, the audience cheered enthusiastically, creating a very beautiful image. The audience of the Hue Festival is wonderful; they warm our hearts, and they love us not only with simple art but also with friendship and respect for the artists. Certainly, this is the group's most special performance during their tours.
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| Pop rock band Chillies interacting with the audience in the rain. Photo by the organizer |
Also, on the stage in front of Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted, the pop rock band Chillies performed at the Hue Festival for the second time; the last time was in 2022.
Unlike the previous performance, in the second one, the weather was unpleasant because of the rain. Even though it rained, the performer and audience were still able to connect through music. Familiar songs were played by the artists, and the audience sang and waved with them. The enthusiasm of the audience drove the artists to forget about the rain; they sang and interacted with the audience, creating a night of fiery music.
The weather in Hue is erratic these days; the noon is hot and sunny, and then the afternoon turns to thunderstorms. In the unbearable heat at nearly 11:00 a.m., we caught members of the HISPANO Music Group, Spain, testing out the program to prepare for the evening performance of the same day.
Quickly wiping the sweat from her forehead, artist Ruth Quesada smiled and said, this is the first time the group come to Vietnam with the role of introducing typical Spanish music to the audience. The group have had one show before and the audience was very crowded, so we had to prepare our best to serve the audience, despite the scorching weather.
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| The music group HISPANO, Spain rehearsing the program in hot weather |
Bridge for cultural exchange
“In addition to performing on the main stage, we also participated in performing at street festivals within the framework of Hue Festival 2024. The audience was crowded, clapping along to each Spanish traditional music. That means music connects us and the audience. It's amazing that we came and performed at this festival. Coming to Vietnam, I found the culture and life completely different from those in Spain. The pace of life here is also different, there are many eateries along the road, many motorbikes, and a peaceful space with many ancient buildings. There is a stunning river that runs through the city center. I feel your country is incredibly gorgeous.
Meanwhile, Double Impro Dance Group represents artistic innovation as their works always have impromptu interaction with the audience, breaking the standards of traditional shows. Attending Hue Festival 2024, Double Impro brought a program with the theme "Dialogue", dancers met on stage as if knowing each other for the first time, and through dance, they shared stories and experiences to create an intimate three-way conversation: Dancer with dancer and dancer with audience.
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| Famous Chinese drama is introduced at Hue Festival 2024 week |
In the festive atmosphere, where cultures meet and interact, Lanxi Li Yu Drama Research Institute, Zhejiang Province, China brought the quintessence of drama closer to the audience with inspiring, emotionally engaging, and captivating performances by the interference of music and martial arts. The performances made the audience, especially the young audience, continuously admire and enjoy the graceful dance performances, and beautiful martial arts, combined with resounding music and magnificent costumes.
Mr. Luu Kien Huy, Deputy Director of Lanxi Li Yu Drama Research Institute, Zhejiang Province, China commented, through the days of participating in the performance, I felt the vibrant atmosphere of Hue Festival week. The whole city was immersed in the atmosphere of the festival, from the grand opening ceremony to vibrant folk activities. The whole city participated actively and excitedly. This is truly a perfect, joyful and harmonious festival.
“Art has no borders, we hope that through activities like this, we can strengthen friendly cooperation between the two countries, and enhance exchanges between the two peoples, and this Hue Festival 2024 will serve as a bridge, building a better future for the people of the two countries," Mr. Luu Kien Huy hoped.