by Phan Hong Nhung, Zou Xuemian

HANOI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Inside the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB)'s rehearsal studio, ballet dancers raised their arms in a slow, sweeping arc, not mimicking a swan or a sprite, but the delicate unfurling of giay do, Vietnam's traditional handmade paper.

Scheduled to be staged at Ho Guom Opera House in Hanoi on Sunday, the contemporary ballet Do, named after the traditional Vietnamese material, draws inspiration not from the European canon but from Vietnam's rice fields, seasonal cycles and folk crafts.

"We have an abundance of artistic ideas, but we are short of cultural products," general director of the production Tran Huong Na told Xinhua, adding that the team set out to create a work built entirely by Vietnamese artists, including directors, choreographers, designers and performers, while meeting international artistic standards.

Unlike many classical European ballets that follow dramatic conflicts and climaxes, Do was inspired by Vietnam's rice-growing culture and the cyclical rhythm of nature.

Na explained that the agricultural cycle -- seeding, tending and harvesting -- mirrors the philosophy of human existence bound to the sky, the earth and the seasons, a message that the team wove together with Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons as its musical backbone.

For choreographers and dancers, blending classical ballet techniques with movements inspired by Vietnamese folk culture required careful experimentation.

"It takes time to find movements that allow the academic language of ballet to convey Vietnamese culture," co-choreographer Phan Luong said, adding that both choreographers and dancers had to deepen their understanding of traditional Vietnamese art forms to ensure the fusion felt organic rather than forced.

The production has already traveled beyond Vietnamese borders, having been performed in Copenhagen, Denmark, according to Na.

Do is not an isolated experiment, having followed several ballets that translated Vietnam's folk paintings into classical choreography.

According to VNOB director Phan Manh Duc, finding local material is essential for ballet storytelling, since drawing on familiar cultural elements helps artists preserve the classical structure of ballet while nudging the art form, long seen as academic and distant, closer to domestic audiences.

"As Vietnam is promoting the development of the cultural industry, with a target of contributing 7 percent to gross domestic product, folk heritage has become an inspiration for new creative works," Duc said.

Pham Minh Quan, a PhD candidate and lecturer at the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Vietnam National University, told Xinhua that the works reflect a cultural shift in how heritage is viewed and used.

He stated that heritage is increasingly seen not only as something to preserve, but also as a creative resource for the cultural industry.

Several ballet works spotlight the potential of heritage-inspired art in the development of cultural and creative industries, he told Xinhua, stressing that they could become part of the creative ecosystem, contributing to exhibitions, publications, arts education and cultural tourism.

"This is a good way to reach global audiences while reinforcing Vietnam's cultural heritage," he added. ■