US ballroom dance group tours

The highly acclaimed Ballroom Dance Company from the US's Brigham Young University will make their first appearance in Viet Nam on Friday, May 13th 2011.  Founded in 1971, the Utah-based ensemble is the US National Formation Dance Champion, a title the team has won 27 consecutive times since 1982. The ensemble also won first place at the prestigious British Ballroom Dance Championships in Blackpool, England, in both modern and Latin dances last year. They have also performed as special guest artists at ballroom dance competitions inChina, the Ukraine and Hungary. The company has toured throughout the US and more than 30 different countries astounding audiences with their precision, beauty and skill. The ensemble's most successful performance Capture the Magic – a Broadway-quality show, for audiences of all ages, will be presented during their tour of Viet Nam.

Many activities for sea festival in Nha Trang

Khanh Hoa Province authorities have approved a program for the Sea Festival scheduled for June 11 to 15 in the tourism city of Nha Trang, including cultural activities, art performances, sports, and tourism promotion.  On June 2, or a fortnight before the official festival, several activities will be held to welcome the main event, including a fishing tour at night, a sea tour at night, a martial art performance on the seaside, an art picture market, and calligraphy exhibition. There will also be a display of Champa culture, a photo exhibition, a fair for high-quality Vietnamese goods, and music concert and comedy shows. The main festival will feature a film week, Lu Cam porcelain exhibition, Champa pottery and brocade display, a street photo exhibition, fireworks displays, water-motorbike performance, a food court and a fashion show among others. According to the organizer, the topic on Truong Sa Archipelago will be highlighted during the festival.

Halong tourism week promises attractions

The northern province of Quang Ninh has invested VND138 billion (USD6.6 million) in building an outdoor art laser light stage, which will make its debut at the coastal area of Halong Bay on the night of May 2. According to the organising board, the light stage and the Halong carnival festival will be the spotlights of the Week of Halong Tourism 2011, which is expected to attract about 50,000 visitors, about 10% of visitors to Halong during a year. The Week of Ha Long Tourism 2011, which will be held from April 29-May 2, will be the biggest ever, with a series of festivities in support of the superb bay’s bid for the New7Wonders title this year. The event will cover a large range of festivities, from culture and arts, including a poetry night, to sports such as an international beach volleyball final round, culinary arts and an international trade fair.

Colorful cultural activities in Cham Cultural Exhibition Center

The Cham Cultural Exhibition Center in Phan Hiep Commune, Bac Binh District, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province will host a series of cultural festivities from April 29 to May 1. Visitors will get an insight into the Cham people via a display of artifacts which include royal costumes of the Cham imperial family, musical instruments and high-valued cultural objects and products as well as traditional craft creations of brocade and ceramics. Brocade weavers and pottery makers will demonstrate for visitors and help them gain craft skills with products for sale. Tourists have a chance to enjoy various kinds of Cham food and witness the way it is prepared by artisans from Binh My Hamlet in Bac Binh District. Tourists can learn how to cook a Cham cake or just enjoy munching on a free cake. The center also holds folk festivals such as Rija Nugar (New Year festival) to pray for a year of good harvests and good health for locals.

Maritime festival to be held in Hai Phong

The Haiphong Tourism Festival 2011 will be held at Do Son Tourist Site from April 30 to May 2 with diverse activities to promote the city’s tourism and to move toward National Tourism Year 2013 in the northern port city.  Activities will include an open golf championship, a tennis championship, dragon boat racing, marching, bicycle racing and visiting tourist sites around Do Son Beach. The festival will be highlighted by the inauguration of a seven-hectare artificial wave pool which was designed with modern technology from Spain and China.

Italy to showcase arts, culture

The Italian Embassy in Hanoi will launch a programme to promote the culture and lifestyle of the Mediterranean country in Vietnam. The programme will include 14 events during 2011 covering music, dance, architecture, literature and cinema. The programme aims at fostering a stronger connection between Italy and Vietnam, two countries that already share a strong tradition of friendship and sympathy, said Italian Ambassador in Vietnam Lorenzo Angeloni. The programme will open with a performance by pianist Ludovico Einaudi on April 24. Other concerts will feature soprano Paola Stafficci, pianist Stefano Ragni, clarinetist Gianluca Campagnolo, and jazz artist Francesco Cafiso. On September 8-9, the Oplas Dance Company from Perugia will participate in the Vietnam-Europe Contemporary Dance Festival. Three exhibitions will be held in May and October, with the first to run at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts on May 6-11.

Sculpture camp begins in central province of Ninh Thuan

An international sculpture camp has begun in the central province of Ninh Thuan, gathering 36 artists from 12 countries with the goal of creating a sculpture garden in the province. Under the title of Ninh Thuan – A Destination for the Future, the event is timed to celebrate the 36th anniversary of the province's liberation day on April 16, 1975.   Addressing the opening ceremony, Vo Dai, deputy chairman of the provincial People's Committee, stressed that the camp was not only a chance for cultural and professional exchange among artists but would leave a remarkable memorial of the artists' careers through their work there. Dai hoped the sculptural garden, when completed, would be a unified artwork that impresses visitors.

2012 Ha Long tourism week to be held

The 2012 Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week will be held from April 22 to May 2, announced Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee on April 3. The Tourism Week will cover a wide array of cultural, tourism, and sporting activities, including art perfomances and a food festival, as well as Tuan Chau International women’s beach volleyball, national beach sepak takraw and national dance championships. All of activities will combine traditional and modern styles. Two exhibitions are also scheduled to be held during the week – the first a photography exhibition and the second to showcase relics and antiques related to Ha Long Bay.