Sac Viet - Studying

Studying

I dont even know since when, hau dong came to me like a fate. At first, i did watched and knew this subject through some friends and relatives, but then, for some reasons, i started to feel interested with it. 

So, first of all, for those who dont know yet, hau dong is a ritual in folk belief activities to worship the goddess Dao Mau in Shamanism of many ethnic groups. It may sound a bit confusing, but ‘Hau dong’ is basically a ritual of communicating with the gods through male or female companions.

I started studying this subject just recently, probably around the end of last year if i am not mistaken. I was be introduced by a friend of mine, who also interested with this kind of activity. At the first session, I learned from the basic steps. However, it was really tough! Maybe because unlike modern dance, 'Hau dong' requires more complex and varied techniques than I thought. My first encounter with 'Hau dong' was really tiring, and my legs were extremely painful. I thought the very first practicings were disasters. I was constantly out of breath, and my limbs kept shaking after each exercise. I have had a lot of leg cramps from tiptoeing during the song to make my gait more flexible and gentle. Thus, every night before going to bed, I also had to tiptoe for 20 minutes to speed up the progress. 

However, the most challenging aspects of 'Hau dong' is the expression. In other arts, the facial expression is always a plus of the performance as it gives the audience a good feeling, and it reproduces the dance content as well. 'Hau dong' is no exception. I was told to always smile and maintain eye contact with the audience, no matter where I was heading or what I was doing. It is even harder since I have to maintain the expression while doing all the tiptoeing and posing moves.

Nevertheless, it is still my believe that Hau dong is a ritual, a folk activity that deserves to be handed down and promoted.

Here is a video i made for the beginer about Hau dong. Hope you guys like it!