( Duration: 50 mins / show )

I. BEGINNING
        Northern Vietnamese Folk Music: The traditional operetta is a folk theatrical art form of Vietnam. It is developed highly, rich in ethnography, popular and considered a stage form of festival and using polytechnic and polysemantic words in combination with image language.
 

II. WATER PUPPET

1.   Prelude by Uncle "Teu" - bounding the festival flag: “Teu” is the name given to a puppet that is a young, healthy and humorous. He’s also a mischievous M.C, a friend of the poor. Accompany with festival, the folk stage is decorated by colorful festival flags. In the beginning part, the image of flags raised from the water without wetness is a unique creation which is a curious thing with any audience.

    2.    Dragon dance: The dragon in Vietnamese mind is very holy. According to the folk legend, Dragon and Fairy descendant is the origin of Vietnamese. The lively drum music and the ingenious combination of fire - water and the powerful dancing of the dragons are the wish for health, peace and endurance

    3.    Octet Orchestra – Gratitude to ancestors after achievements: Octet Orchestra is an orchestra often used in processions of the ancient Vietnamese. There are eight sound materials of eight different instruments in traditional music. Octet Orchestra is often held in festivals of the ancient Vietnamese.

•The story uses Cheo - traditional music in the tune of song "Breaking water". Students with high achievements in exams return to their home, they express gratitude to ancestors and their parents, and descendants' respect for their ancestors. This is a long-standing tradition of the Vietnamese nation.

•The orchestra performs in the tune of song "Luu Thuy Kim Tien"

 

     4.    King Le Loi returning the sword : •According to the history, King Le Loi caught a holy sword by chance and he led the resistance war. After he defeated the invaders and proclaimed himself the king. Once, as the King was taking a boat trip on the lake, a huge tortoise seized the holy sword. Then the lake named “Hoan Kiem Lake”.

 

     5.   Agricultural works : Vietnam water puppetry was born from the rice civilization in the Red River Delta, so agriculture is a vividly depicting scene of labor of Vietnamese farmers with familiar images such as riding buffalo playing flute, plowing, harrowing, transplanting rice, slapping water, harvesting ... images of Vietnamese farmers who work hard in the fields..

 

    6.    Swimming Competition : Swimming Competition” depicts this scene of Vietnamese villages. Swimming activities of children are clearly reflected in each movement. It shows happiness and vitality of children

 

7.    Chasing fox away from the flock of ducks: The story is based on the daily life of the couple, the old man who ducks and chases the foxes, along with the funny and witty response scenes, together with the chasing the puppet on the water, it creates Vietnamese optimistic farmers.

8.    The Spirit Mediums - spiritual dance :  Vietnam's Mother Goddess worship has been honored by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In today's life,Mother Goddess worship is mainly known to the community through the concept of "The Spirit Mediums" - the main performance form of this religion. Traditional cultural elements are expresed such as costumes, music, dance and folk performances imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity are created, developed and passed on from generation to generation.

     9. Four sacred animals dance (Dragon – Unicorn – Tortoise – Phoenix): The dance brings together the four sacred animals Long - Ly - Quy - Phuong, praising the nature of heaven and earth, hoping for a peaceful state and a peaceful and happy life.   

    

10.  Artist's apprearance - The End :  Thank you for enjoying the show of Lotus Water Puppet Centre !

Welcome to Lotus Water Puppet - Thank you for your attention!