Art & Entertainment News Headlines 30/6 Vietnamese-American designer to judge Project Runway contest Fashion designer Tran Quoc Dung will return to Viet Nam and join three other judges of the reality show Project Runway. Tran, who was an electrical engineer before changing careers, will judge the contest with model Truong Ngoc Anh, fashion designer Cong Tri, and journalist Thien Huong, who will select three of five contestants. To be aired today on Viet Nam Television, the five shortlisted candidates will be judged on their collections based on the style of the 1960s, and the films of fashion icon Audrey Hepburn. "Being a judge is an interesting experience for me," said Tran. "I see that the designers have a unique style." The acclaimed fashion designer has staged many fashion shows in recent years. Last year, he presented his collection at Couture Fashion Week in New York City. Since launching his first couture collection in 2009, Tran's (also known as Cory) artistic expressions have garnered recognition in the fashion industry and captivated celebrities, including Toni Braxton, Kelly Rowland, Brandy, Sisslee Lopez, Channel Iman and Tyra Banks, who have all worn his designs. Ha Noi to host national recreational dance competition The 4th National Recreational Dance Championship will be held in Ha Noi next month with both professional and amateur hip-hop dancers taking part. The annual contest, organised by the Viet Nam Recreational e-Sport and Electronic Sport Association and called Floor Killer this year, will see dancers from Viet Nam and abroad go head-to-head in knockout contests. The event will feature the world's six fastest growing hip-hop genres: breaking, hip hop, locking, popping, waacking and house. The jury will comprise famous dancers from Viet Nam, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan. The event this year will also feature performances by two guest dancers from Germany, Uwe Donaubauer and Louis Becker. Donaubauer graduated from the FRK Dance Academy in Austria as a hip-hop, breakdance and locking instructor, while Becker is one of the best known B-Boys in Germany and studied hip-hop at the Tanzzwiet Dance School in Berlin. The competition will take place from 11am to 8.30pm on July 5 and 6 at Savico Megamall, 7 Nguyen Van Linh Street, Long Bien District. Cham all set for month-long festival The Cham Bani people around the country will celebrate their month-long Ramuwan Festival starting today, coinciding with Ramadan. During the month many Muslims around the world do not eat or drink even water between sunrise and sunset, though not so much among the Cham. The festival starts three days earlier when they wear their traditional white sarong and long tunic – though the women are dressed more colourfully — and go to cemeteries to cleanse ancestral graves, worship their ancestors, and "invite them back home for celebrating Ramuwan". Yesterday, in the south-central province of Binh Thuan, hundreds of Cham in Bac Binh District's Phan Hoa Commune took fruits, cakes, soft drinks, and beers to Dong Trang (White Sand Hill) cemetery as offerings. Before starting the rituals they weeded and poured water on their ancestors' graves. Luong Tien Truong, a local Cham man, said the graves of his and his wife's families are in three different places and so the rituals have to be done on three separate days. After finishing at the cemetery, people make offerings of glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste, ginger cakes, and patties filled with green peas and glutinous rice powder at home. Tho Thi Tiet, also from Truong's village, said they take fruit, food, betel and areca, cakes, and drinks to a mosque on the afternoon of the second day of the festival to invoke God's blessings for peace, happiness, and prosperity. After this they take such offerings to the mosque four times every day for the rest of the month. During the month many religious ceremonies are performed. Ramuwan ends with "a party to celebrate a successful festival," Tiet said. Like Vietnamese and Tet (lunar new year festival), the Cham use the festival as an opportunity to visit home and gather together with their families, she added. People also perform traditional songs and dances to celebrate Ramuwan. In 1834 King Ming Mang banned the festival, but his successor, King Thieu Tri, lifted the ban in 1841, since when the festival has been held again. Viet Nam had 161,729 Cham people, according to the 2009 census, mostly living in the provinces of Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan. Binh Thuan has more than 41,000, 15,000 of them Muslim Cham Bani and the rest mostly Hindus. Hue pays tribute to wandering souls For the last eight days in Hue, one could see temporary altars set up in front of homes, companies, offices and alleys, with food and lit incense. The altars were made to honour the wandering souls and experts and spoke of the deep humanity among locals. "It is rare to see an activity that is supported by every single person, family and community in the country," said culture researcher Ho Tan Phan. "But the ritual offering of food to those who died in an incident in 1885 is an exception, and has been practiced in Hue for over 100 years." In July 4, 1885, the sovereignty of the country under the rule of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) fell into hands of French colonists. There were battles between royal and French troops, in which about 15,000 Vietnamese soldiers and hundreds of locals were killed. The date became a common anniversary for Hue locals to remember the dead. In remembrance of those who died in the incident from lunar May 23-30, the people of Hue set up temporary altars and conduct the rituals. Each altar comprises a variety of food items, depending on the financial capacity of each household, office and community. The food includes costly items to cheap ones like beef, tuna fish or cassava, sweet potatoes, or sugarcane. The ritual items also include cigarettes, wines and whatever a normal person might need. Despite a hot summer's day, every altar has a flame burning, to symbolise the fire that is said to have kept warm, the people who fell into the canals and rivers during the incident. "The rituals not only mirror the deep humanity of the locals, but also reflect on the patriotism of the people, as it remembers the date the royal soldiers stood up against the colonial troops," said Phan. "One of the typical features of the ritual in those eight days of the fifth lunar month is that it is done voluntarily and after consensus from every single person. Phan said that in addition to lessons of humanity through the ritual, it should be highlighted as an example of patriotism among the locals. TV series on rural issues to be broadcast on VTV1 A new TV series that focuses on hot social issues in the northern rural region will be telecast from next month. Entitled Bao Qua Lang (Storm Sweeps over Village), the 30-episode series deals with issues such as land withdrawal, vote of confidence on leadership, the impact of urbanisation on rural regions and its negative effects such as social evils and corruption. Produced by the Viet Nam Television Film Centre (VFC), the series is expected to begin on July 24 on VTV1 channel. Directed by Quoc Trong and Le Manh, the series features several popular TV actors such as Quoc Khanh, Cong Ly and Quang Thang. The VFC had produced many rural-themed series which have all been acclaimed by audiences. These include Dat Va Nguoi (Land and Men), Bi Thu Tinh Uy (Provincial Party Committee Secretary), Gio Lang Kinh (The Wind over Kinh Village), and Ma Lang (Village's Ghost). Vietnam Culture Days in Russia attracts thousands An impressive cultural art performance was held at Baltic House Theatre, St. Petersburg on June 28 as part of a disparate array of activities marking Vietnam Culture Days in Russia 2014. Addressing the event, Le Ngoc Dinh, deputy head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s International Cooperation Department stated the cultural and tourism activities have been resonating exceptionally well with the Russian people throughout Moscow. The art programme has helped Russian and international friends learn more about Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity as well as introducing Vietnam’s great potential for tourism and sports. Fashion shows of traditional dress (Ao dai) and unique performances of Vietnamese artists received thunderous applause from over 2,000 in attendance. The event is taking place in Yaroslav on June 29-30. Indian music theatre premiers in Hanoi Audiences in Hanoi were entertained with the spiced up latkas and jhatkas of India’s musical dance in a novel rendition of the Au Co Arts Centre on June 26 by the Bollywood Dance Era Group. “The Great Indian Wedding” is a musical re-enactment of the sacred ceremony of wedding and larger than life celebrations that surround it in India. A Wedding in India is classically a colourful and cultural extravaganza. Thousands of Gods and Goddesses are enchanted with mantras while the groom and the bride take their marital vows. In Indian culture, marriage symbolizes not just the sacred union of two individuals, but of the coming together of two families and their relatives. The vividness of various colours in decorations, variety of tastes in food and vibrancy of music brings the celebration alive. The musical dance depicts the love story of the hero who is from the high-spirited state of Punjab and his lady who hails from the poised state of Tamil Nadu. The two, from their respective states, move to the cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune, for higher education. They meet and fall in love with each other. After graduation, they plan to get married with the blessings of their respective families but are worried and expect obstacles from their respective families as arranged marriages remain dominant in their culture. However, time has progressed over generations and their parents are convinced. The 45-minute act runs throughout with dynamic audio-visuals playing in the backdrop and beautiful dance sequences depicting the story. “The Great Indian Wedding” is written and performed by Bollywood Dance Era Group, a leading Dance company in India with masterstrokes and sensations that give prominence to dance in its diversity. India and Vietnam share a long traditional relationship, which has grown rapidly in contemporary times. People to people interaction play a significant role in this relation. Following the performance in Hanoi, “The Great Indian wedding” will also be performed in Phu Tho and Yen Bai provinces on June 27 and 28, respectively. The Embassy of India in Hanoi and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations organized the performance, in coordination with the Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Food festival promises a feast for visitors A food festival in the central province of Khanh Hoa will feature outstanding specialties from all corners of Vietnam from July 8 – 13, heard a press briefing on Jue 27. The event in the sea resort city of Nhat Trang aims at introducing and honouring the best of the country’s culinary culture and cooking creativity, thus providing an opportunity for trade promotion and partnership among businesses operating in the restaurant and tourism sectors. As a highlight during the tourism season, it will include a competition attracting 90 professional cooks across the country. Meanwhile, a market will also be organised to offer fruit specialties, traditional dishes along with contemporary food. Some of the notable dishes to be displayed include Cha ca La Vong (La Vong grilled fish), frozen meat and green bean cake in the north; Hue beef noodle soup, Quang Nam-style noodle, and Tam Ky chicken rice in the central; along with Sa Dec-style noodle and rice pancake in the south. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VNN