Thúy Vân Dance is a performing arts group specializing in Vietnamese traditional dance. They are committed to the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese culture through song and dance performance.
Thúy Vân Dance – Photo courtesy of the company.
The Sierra Madre Playhouse was the perfect theater space for this company to perform. The stage was concise and focused on all of the attributes which make this company stand out, namely the costumes and storytelling aspect of the performance. The three Directors: Joseph Vo, Nathan Pham, and Nhina Phan all performed as well as created this show of fourteen diverse numbers capturing many different aspects of Vietnamese culture.
The costumes for each number were fantastic, in brilliant colors and adding to the flow and effect of each piece of choreography. They have ordered the costumes directly from Vietnam in order to maintain true representation. Many had long sleeves for the females which elongated their line and made intricate patterns extending the port-de-bras. There were also many props utilized in numerous of the numbers. From fans of different sizes and textures to material of bright colors, all props were used in unison dances and were worthy of an MGM Musical. The backdrop photos which served as the set pieces were beautiful and consisted of what I presume to be various Vietnamese landscapes. They were breathtaking and served to place the work squarely in that serene culture.
Thúy Vân Dance – Photo courtesy of the company.
This dance company is obviously a labor of love for the directors and their dancers: Annabelle Bach, Anna Nguyen, Ashley Doan, Christine Ly, Emily Allsup, Emily Mai, Evelyn Le, Gia Uy Ngo, Henry Nguyen, Jonathan Phan, Joseph Vo, Linda Nguyen, Nathan Pham, Nhina Phan, Theresa Tran, Valerie Nguyen, and Vivian Le. All were present and knocking themselves out in order to deliver the choreography. There were solos among the group pieces which worked well. I am looking forward to see how this company matures in its process.
For more information about Thúy Vân Dance, please visit their website.
To learn more about what is happening at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, please visit their website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Thúy Vân Dance – Photo courtesy of the company.
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