Shadow Dance - Fate and Karma

The ball-roi dance is a form of folk performance, with the function of practicing rituals, associated with the worship of goddesses. The person who dances the ball-roi is called a female ball or a female ball. This three-hundred-year-old dance has also gone through many ups and downs, challenges and not everyone is lucky enough to take on the karma.

UNESCO Meritorious Artist - Traditional Southern folk dance art of bong roi - Huynh Hoa (middle) sings bong roi

Unique art form

Among the types of folk beliefs, goddess worship is a popular form of belief among the Vietnamese in the South. And bong roi is a form of folk performance, with the function of practicing rituals, closely associated with the custom of goddess worship.

“Bong” is a general term for artists who perform ritual singing and dancing at shrines. “Roi” is one of the melodies, often called “thai, ru, chap roi”, or also understood as greeting, inviting, signaling to invite the goddesses to come and witness the ceremony, listen to the singing to bless and protect the people. Those who practice the bong roi ritual are called “co bong” and “ba bong”.

Dr. Mai My Duyen - Lecturer at the University of Culture, Ho Chi Minh City, said: “Compared to other types of folk performances, the ball-roi dance is much more interesting and complex. The person practicing the ball-roi dance must have 4 skills: Sticking the golden tray, the drum, singing and dancing, and performing the choreography. In addition to natural talent, the artist must also practice hard.

The song requires the shaman to sing rhythmically and precisely to the beat of the drum, the beat of the sanh and the ceremonial band; to understand the content of the song and pronounce the words clearly and roundly to convey the words to the listeners. The gestures of the golden tray dance, the variety dance with the stage-like choreography are also an art that not everyone can perform. To do that, the artists must study and practice very elaborately.

The teaching method of ball-playing is mainly based on oral transmission of the dances and instructions on how to practice the dances and how to maintain balance during the performance. In addition, students must also follow the teacher to worship to learn from experience and require students to be diligent in self-improvement, practice, and exchange knowledge with each other.

Artist My Nhan ( Dong Thap province) shared: “The art of dancing the ball needs to be studied and practiced regularly to progress and renew oneself. I often follow famous teachers to learn. Each teacher has his or her own good points and I have to turn that good point into my own. In addition, I also create my own lyrics while performing the dance, to increase diversity but still keep the rhythm of the ceremonial band with the melodies of Nam Xuan, Nam Ai, Nam Chay, Ly, Xang, Muong,... Although creative, the lyrics in the dance must be rustic, simple, and familiar, helping listeners to easily understand and enter their hearts.”

A shaman performs a golden tray dance during the festival of Linh Son Thanh Mau of Ba Den Mountain ( Photo: Duong Duc Kien )

Chosen profession

In 2016, UNESCO recognized Bong Roi as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Before being honored, Bong Roi was considered superstitious and needed to be eliminated. Since Bong Roi dance was recognized, all levels and sectors have begun to pay attention to preserving and promoting this art form. However, the lives of female and female Bong Roi dancers are also full of hardships, even being discriminated against and shunned by their families and society.

UNESCO Meritorious Artist - Traditional Southern Folk Ball Dance Art - Huynh Hoa (Huynh Hoang Phuc), My An commune, shared: “No one likes their children to be semi-male or semi-female. Parents are very heartbroken, cry their eyes out, advise, and even threaten them with all kinds of things. But perhaps I have a destiny with this profession, so I have never thought of giving up and decided to pursue the profession of ball dance until today. I know that when parents see many people the same age as their children getting married and having children, they will feel very sad, but what can they do, when the profession is already there, the fate is already there”.

In addition to prejudice from their families, those who pursue the profession of ball dancing also face economic burdens. Because outside of the Ky Yen season from January to April (Lunar calendar), female and female ball dancers must find other jobs to earn a living and maintain their daily lives.

Artist Ut Trau, Ho Chi Minh City, said: “If you are destined to be in the profession of dancing bong roi, don’t think about profit or loss, because just being able to live your passion to the fullest is happiness. In my opinion, those who pursue the profession of dancing bong roi must have enough fate and be selected by the profession’s ancestors, only then can they overcome challenges and difficulties in life to pursue their passion to the end. Personally, I have been attached to the profession of dancing bong roi for almost my entire life, and my greatest asset is the applause and compliments from the audience after finishing a bong roi dance or song.”

Artist Ut Trau (HCMC) performs shadow puppetry

In the hustle and bustle of life, the ball dance may no longer be a brilliant halo, but for the artist, it is the soul, the breath of a dedicated life. Although the audience may gradually decrease in the future, those who are destined to dance the ball dance will still silently and persistently maintain their passion and preserve the sacred spirit of the traditional art form.

So that tomorrow, when someone comes back, the shadow will still echo, still live forever with time.../.

Le Ngoc

Source: https://baolongan.vn/mua-bong-roi-duyen-va-nghiep-a198760.html