Questions of gender and power in professional dance in Vietnam: A Western choreographer’s perspective

Abstract

As a female choreographer who has been working with dance artists in Hanoi since 1988 over nine cultural exchange projects, I have become fascinated by differences in artistic practice and aesthetics, and how that might relate to gender roles within the profession. The paper begins with a brief history of dance in Vietnam followed by a snapshot of current major dance organisations, and continues with an analysis of my experiences with Nha Hat Nhac Vu Kich Viet Nam (the Dance Theatre of Vietnam). As there is almost no literature on Vietnamese dance, observations necessarily come from primary sources, in particular from my own experiences of working intensively with the same group of dancers over a number of years. The paper explores gender and power relations within the workplace, gender roles in performance, non-performance opportunities for women including promotion and seniority, and documents a work I created for the women in the company. The paper concludes with observations on broader ramifications reflected in the particular situation examined.