Vietnam Dance Week 2025: Art that connects communities
WVR - Following the success of the 2023 and 2024 editions, Vietnam Dance Week 2025, organised by the 7th Executive Committee of the Vietnam Dancers’ Association, returns under the theme “Hand in Hand – Shining Towards the Future”.
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The event is not only a festival of dance art but also a vibrant symbol of solidarity, integration, and the soft power of Vietnamese culture in a period of renewal.
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| A performance at Vietnam Dance Week 2024. |
From the stage to the community
Launched in 2023 by Master Nguyen Tuyet Minh, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Dancers’ Association, Vietnam Dance Week, together with its signature performance “Hand in Hand”, has swiftly become a prestigious cultural brand, bringing together hundreds of artists, choreographers, dancers and dance enthusiasts from across the country.
In its first year, the event took place in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, attracting thousands of domestic and international participants. The creative performances reaffirmed the vitality of Vietnamese dance art in the context of international integration.
In 2024, Dance Week travelled to Kon Tum, where the vibrant colours of Central Highlands culture intertwined with artistic rhythm, opening new directions in connecting art, identity, tourism and the cultural industries. The event contributed to promoting local culture and affirming the role of dance in sustainable development.
This year, Vietnam Dance Week 2025 unfolds as the country adopts a two-tier local government model, expanding opportunities for inter-regional exchange and spreading the spirit of “Unity in Diversity” across contemporary art life.
“Hand in Hand” – A symbol of solidarity and creativity
The highlight of the 2025 edition is the mass dance project “Tay trong tay – Hand in Hand”, an artistic initiative designed to reach young audiences by combining diverse dance styles - from traditional and contemporary folk to European classical, modern, hip-hop, and Broadway.
The project runs from September to December 2025, with three main phases: producing promotional videos and media trailers; launching a Reels Challenge across 38 chapters of the Vietnam Dancers’ Association nationwide; and spreading and voting for the best videos in celebration of the 71st anniversary of the Traditional Day of Vietnamese Revolutionary Dance (16 December 1954 – 16 December 2025).
“‘Hand in Hand’ symbolises faith woven through culture and unity crafted through rhythm. When 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam join in one shared dance, that is the living heartbeat of a nation moving toward a new era”, shared Ms Nguyen Tuyet Minh.
More than just a joyful performance, Hand in Hand carries messages of hope, aspiration and the future - where Vietnamese hands join together to illuminate a new journey for the nation.
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| "Hand in Hand" Dance 2025. (Source: Organizing Committee) |
Art accompanying national cultural policy
Following the administrative merger of several provinces and cities under the new two-tier model, many ethnic communities now coexist within shared administrative spaces.
In this context, dance becomes a bridge of emotion and culture, helping to strengthen national unity and promote harmony in cultural development.
According to Dr People’s Artist Pham Anh Phuong, President of the Vietnam Dancers’ Association:
“Dance is not only the language of beauty but also a form of soft power that connects people. Vietnam Dance Week 2025 provides an opportunity for artists to reaffirm their role in building the great national solidarity”.
Bringing dance to the digital space
Keeping pace with the digital transformation of culture and the arts, Vietnam Dance Week 2025 embraces social media platforms to spread creative inspiration among the younger generation.
Short clips, trailers, and Reels Challenges have become effective tools to bring dance closer to the public, while encouraging citizens to become “digital cultural ambassadors” - co-creating and sharing artistic value.
The competition entries this year are expected to meet criteria such as: unique imagery, strong artistic expression, skilled performance, and effective promotion of local heritage and landmarks. They should also highlight national solidarity, encourage participation across generations and ethnicities, and demonstrate high interactivity and reach in the digital sphere.
After three years of development, Vietnam Dance Week has established itself as a national creative platform - a space where art not only performs but also connects people, honours identity and ignites creative aspirations for the future.
Amid Vietnam’s dynamic transformation, today’s dances are not merely movements of the body, but the rhythmic pulse of the nation’s culture and spirit - a dance of unity, faith and the aspiration to shine.
