Ninh Binh hosts Ahlan International Belly Dance Festival
Performances by famous Vietnamese and international belly dancers are on show at the Ahlan International Belly Dance Festival held on October 19-23 in the northern province of Ninh Binh.
The Ahlan International Belly Dance Festival gathers many famous Vietnamese and international artists. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Performances by famous Vietnamese andinternational belly dancers are on show at the Ahlan International Belly DanceFestival held on October 19-23 in the northern province of Ninh Binh.
The event is a great chance for lovers of belly dancing to share theirexperiences through workshops and enjoy performances by a number of well-knownbelly dancers, including Aleksei Riaboshapka from Ukraine, Nari Heo from theRepublic of Korea, Nana Nazakawa from Japan, Gulden Fatkulla from Kazakhstanand Summer Deng from China.
They are regarded as belly dance masters, capable of spreading knowledge abouttheir performance skills and inspiring their trainees.
Riaboshapka is a well-known performer and a recognised choreographer of bellydance and oriental folkloric styles. Belly dance communities and festivals ofalmost thirty countries welcomed his art and passion for oriental dance. He isa leading teacher and judge of the League of Belly Dance Masters in Russia. Inhis home country, he created his own unique dance company RA-Studio whosestudents are taught by professionals. Many of them are winners of prestigiouscontests worldwide. Alekei’s workshops are known to be interesting, creativeand fun. His talent, choreographic originality and bright personality havetouched many dancers.
“I am very happy to share my skills and soul to help dancers and see the bellydance community grow,” he said.
“This is the second time we have organised an international belly dancefestival,” said dancer Ha Van, head of the organising board.
“We have tried to bring world masters to introduce them to Vietnamese bellydancing as well as create the chance for domestic artists to exchange and findinspiration.” –VNS/VNA
Renowned Vietnamese and international belly dancers will give an excellent performance at the Vietnam Open Belly Dance Festival 2018, set to take place at Dai Nam Theatre in Hanoi from June 8-11.
Nguyen Trong Nha Uyen has made history for Vietnam’s dancesport by clinching a bronze medal in the solo Latin category at the WDSF World Championship 2025 in Germany.
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This is the first time since the adoption of the Convention that a country has served two consecutive terms on the Committee. The outcome shows the trust and recognition that member states have given Vietnam for its efforts and achievements in carrying out and promoting the Convention, as well as for its active role, strong standing, and growing credibility at UNESCO.
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For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
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Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
The Ahlan International Belly Dance Festival gathers many famous Vietnamese and international artists. (Photo: VNA) 
