Dancer Ngo Thanh Phuong rehearses for her upcoming performance Xin loi, cam on, xin loi (Sorry, Thanks, Sorry)

Ngo Thanh Phuong’s love for dance was inspired by her father Ngo Thanh Tam, who danced with the famous Bong Sen (Lotus) performance troupe, and her mother, folk singer Thanh Thanh.

But after seeing a performance directed by avant-garde choreographer Tan Loc in 2002, Phuong decided that modern dance, not ballet, was her true calling.

She was lucky enough to befriend Loc and he took her under his tutelage while she worked long days and nights as a theater and wedding dancer.

“I realized my passion for modern dance was growing stronger and stronger and I began nurturing the dream of studying abroad,” Phuong says. “But at that time I couldn’t afford it and the plan stayed out of reach.”

In 2004, a relative living in Germany gave her the money she needed to study at the noted Folkwang Hochschule School of Dance in Essen, Germany.

Bohemian rhapsody

“That was the most unforgettable time of my life,” says Phuong describing her bohemian student days. “I only could afford two meals a day and worked as a salesperson and even a dishwasher in order to study.”

She lived like this, away from her home and family for 4 years, on a mere 20 euros (US$27) per week.

The only Vietnamese student in Folkwang Hochschule, Phuong always did her best to learn and practice the techniques as her love for contemporary dance reached its deepest point as she grew lonely and depressed.

Phuong is due to mark her graduation with a concert piece called Xin loi, cam on, xin loi (Sorry, Thanks, Sorry) at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music next Monday. The unusually-named play will showcase the outcome of Phuong’s studies in Germany and give her a chance to prove herself.

“In my mind, life is full of conflicts, so we can’t avoid saying thanks or sorry. I wanted to apologize to my dear mother after she has given me a happy life even though I was a painful birth… And I also needed to say something to my family, my friends, my colleagues, and my sweetheart to show how important they are to me,” says Phuong.

Phuong has wowed audiences with several performances in Vietnam since she began studying in Germany four years ago. Expectations for the new performance are running high.

Vice director of the Ho Chi Minh City Dance and Symphony Theater Tran Vuong Thach says: “In this materialistic world, it is difficult to find such a passionate dance performer like Phuong… She knows how to breath new life into work and offer new conceptions in her art. She’s got an eye.”

When asked about her future as a modern dancer in Vietnam, Phuong is confident.

“I will continue to follow my passion for modern dance. I know what I am doing. Money is not the point. It’s about the heart and the art.”

People’s Artist Viet Cuong says: “The Vietnamese dance industry needs new faces and I believe Phuong can do something different.”

Phuong is now planning to return to Germany for further classes on advanced dance choreography.

“I’m trying my best to contribute to the development of the local dance industry,” says Phuong.

“I want to spread modern dance to all the rest of Vietnam… You’ll see.”

Reported by Hoai Nam