VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam’s only male belly dancer, Kevin Q, is among the headliners for the second annual Belly Dance Festival in Ha Noi on Thursday.

Choreographed seduction: Dancers of the Bastet Douat troupe perform at the first belly dance festival in October 2007. They will present traditional and fusion styles of belly dance this Thursday night.

The success of the inaugural festival in October of last year was a strong motivation to make the even annual, said Ara Wang, founder of the Ha Noi-based Bastet Douat troupe, which organises the festival.

“We actually started the preparation for this festival soon after getting such good feedback from audiences, especially women, following the first one,” said Wang, who is a South Korean dancer and choreographer.

The festival would provide a venue for professional dancers, Wang said, adding that she hoped it would help belly dance be viewed as an art form in Viet Nam.

“We really want to do this for all the women who love the dance,” said Wang. “It’s not only our dream. It’s all women dream to become more attractive with belly dancing. And that’s the message we like to bring to this festival.”

Belly dancing has grown in popularity not only in Ha Noi and HCM City but in cities nationwide, Wang said. At the Apsara dance studio in Ha Noi alone, nearly 400 women have attended belly dance courses since the studio opened in 2007.

The Belly Dance Festival will start at 7:30pm on Thursday at Sum Villa, 10 Dang Thai Mai Street, Tay Ho District, Ha Noi. Tickets are available at the Apsara Studio, 137 Nghi Tam Street, Telephone 0437197916; at Sum Villa 10 Dang Thai Mai Street, Telephone 0437195511; and JAFA, the Club House, Ciputra City, Telephone 0437582400.

(Source: Viet Nam News)