Performances by artists of the Ho Chi Minh City Circus at September 23 Park

A resurgence is brewing for the Vietnamese circus after more than two decades of languishing in obscurity.

In Vietnam, stunt-horse riding was among the earliest circus acts at festival time.

But it wasn’t until the early 20^th century, when Britain’s Bostock and Armstrong circuses visited these shores, that Vietnamese people got their first taste of the fun and derring-do of the Big Top.

Soon after this foreign incursion, several local circuses sprang into existence.

In the north, Hanoi saw the birth of Ta Duy Hien’s Vietnam Circus, the country’s first, as well as Luu Khanh Van’s Dai Nam troupe, Pham Xuan Trang’s Long Tien troupe and Mai Thanh Cac’s Dai Viet troupe, also known as Ca Cong.

In the south, the first were Amdré in Dong Thap and the Nam Tu and Tan Viet Nam troupes in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City.

The HCMC Circus is much younger, only being formed in November 1986, yet already it has a considerable reputation abroad, though not so much within Vietnam.

Its 65 performers along with 40 animals including elephants, bears, boas, monkeys and dogs are divided into two groups: the veterans in Mat troi do (Red sun) and the young ones and animals in Bau troi xanh (Blue sky).

Deputy chief administrator Ta Tri Tuong says the circus came up with the idea of getting the animal trainers to care for their boas, monkeys and dogs at home so they could spend more time together and train better.

“It’s helped a lot. We had, and still have, much difficulty tending the animals as we don’t have a permanent home and must often pick up everything and move somewhere else,” said circus boss Ho Van Thanh.

Cam Minh, who is in charge of the animals, said several performers had raised and trained animals to create teams of crowd pleasers.

Young Duy Ha is among them. After completing a long apprenticeship, Ha gathered and trained a number of dogs that now get a generous round of applause every time they appear in the ring.

Resurgence

The golden age of the circus in Vietnam was undoubtedly the 1970s and 1980s.

In the subsequent decade, however, the circus lost its appeal and fell into obscurity mainly due to the absence of variety and funding.

Because of the poor remuneration, even the most dedicated of artists found they were unable to sustain a circus career.

Now, after lying low for decades, the Vietnamese circus is getting its act together and making a comeback.

The resurgence of the HCMC Circus in particular has been sparked mainly by international interest. In the past five years, it has performed in many cities in France, Belgium, Taiwan and elsewhere.

“The French are wild about us. We have to bow three or four times before we can leave the ring. Every one of our shows is sold out, and we are always invited to come back the following year,” said Meritorious Artist Thai Ngoc Anh, who oversees the human performers.

Besides the fancy foot and hand work in abundance, the appeal of the HCMC Circus lies in its Vietnamese features, not least being the stylized gestures, colorful costumes, and traditional music and dance.

In France, it is popularly known as the “Blue Circus.”

It has won a pile of national and international awards and is one of the city’s few artistic troupes that generate a profit.

“We’ve got to the stage where we can pick and choose who we work with,” Anh said.

Still, more must be done to pull in Vietnamese crowds, as Ho Van Thanh is only too well aware.

“In order to attract audiences in Vietnam, we must be creative, apply international know-how and come up with an effective marketing strategy,” the circus boss said.

“Going abroad does more than just advertise Vietnam. It’s a priceless learning opportunity as our artists can find out about the latest developments in the circus world and imbibe what they learn to wow local audiences.”

One hurdle still to be leapt, or rather dismantled, is the lack of a permanent home.

After being shunted around for years, the HCMC Circus finally seemed to have settled down when it was given a large space in downtown September 23 Park in 2001.

Yet only six years later, the circus was forced to move again, this time to makeshift quarters on Pham Ngu Lao Street in the backpackers’ quarter of District 1. The search continues.

In the meantime, the HCMC Circus will stage a special Children’s Day show involving several troupes from mid-May to late June.

Reported by Diem Thu