Swan Lake ballet in Hanoi features dancers aged 7 to 40

A unique production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's classical ballet 'Swan Lake' was performed at the Au Co Theater in Hanoi on August 7 and 8. The production featured 43 dancers spanning a wide age range from 7 to 40 years old, setting a Vietnamese record for the largest age gap in a single ballet performance.

Directed by Dam Han Giang, Director of the Vietnam Youth Ballet Center, the production was nearly 99% newly staged, featuring refreshed choreography, staging, and storytelling. Most participants were students from the Vietnam Youth Ballet Center rather than professional artists, though some included students from the Vietnam Dance Academy.

Dam Han Giang noted that the goal was to demonstrate that ballet is an artistic journey for all ages and to provide a platform for young Vietnamese talent to tackle world classics. The performance combined the technical experience of adult students with the enthusiasm of younger dancers.