Friendly but not intrusive, passionate but also very discerning, these are the impressions when interacting with hip-hop artist Le Hoang Chau(born in 1991), Director of the Galaxy Dance Centre. Chau is one of the few young artists who have not undergone professional training, but with tireless efforts and contributions to the arts, Chau proudly became a member of the Viet Nam Dancers’ Association in 2018.

Hip-hop artist Le Hoang Chau (first right, front row) and his associates performed at the customer meeting and welcoming event of Dai-ichi Life Group (Japan) at Furama Resort. (Photo courtesy of the character)

The dance instructor for thousands of students

In the early 2000s, the modern dance movement was introduced and developed strongly, creating a vibrant atmosphere in street art activities.

In 2003, at the age of 12, Le Hoang Chau was truly fascinated and participated in learning hip-hop dance, then fell in love with it. At first, on the background of vibrant Latin music, Chau practised simple movements then gradually changed to choreography having high difficulty and fast tempo, requiring the flexibility and agility of the dancer.

After graduating from both the Maritime College II and the College of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City, Le Hoang Chau returned to Da Nang to apply for a job and was accepted as an employee at a bank. However, after only a short time, together with some friends who share the same passion for modern dance, he decided to pursue this art in the long term with serious and professional investment.

“To make hip-hop no longer just an impromptu walk of youth, we decided to form a dance group and receive shows to perform. In 2017, Galaxy Dance Centre was established and began to recruit students. With this turning point, we determined that modern dance is a long-term profession invested seriously with the desire to live fully with passion and contribute to the development of this art form to a professional level. ", artist Le Hoang Chau confided

Thus far, Galaxy Dance Centre has trained thousands of students, among whom nearly 100 of whom have chosen to pursue modern dance professionally after graduating from their courses.

Apart from their training work, artist Chau and his long-time associates maintain large and small dance teams, participating in performances for various entertainment, artistic, and event environments within and outside the city. The income from these activities helps the dancers stabilize their lives and have the motivation to pursue their passion.

There was a time when people always thought of it as entertainment associated with street performances when it came to modern dance, mainly hip-hop. However, with its attraction and relevance to the development trend of the times, hip-hop and other modern dance genres such as popping, sexy dance, choreography, and K-pop are increasingly affirming their value in terms of entertainment and pervasiveness in the community. They are gradually appearing and firmly establishing their position on music stages, cultural and artistic exchanges, and large and small festivals in the city.

The appearance of modern dance creates a vibrant, fresh and flexible atmosphere, reflecting the intersection of cultures between countries and continents. The transition process from street performances to professional stages was thanks to the tireless effort of young artists like Le Hoang Chau and his associates.

Desire to arouse the emotions of the audience

For 19 years pursuing modern dance, Le Hoang Chau is one of the few young artists who have gradually asserted their foothold in the field of contemporary art and is an active member of Da Nang’s Dance Artists Association.

With outstanding achievements such as the work "Seagulls and Island Soldiers" (Encouragement Prize in the Dance Contest organized by the Viet Nam’s Arts and Literary Association in 2015), "Queen of Primates" (Prize C at the Viet Nam’s Dance Comedy Contest in 2018), Le Hoang Chau was honoured to be among the members of the Viet Dance Artists Association 2018.

In addition to the artistic environment in Da Nang, dance teams and groups of the Galaxy Dance Centre also actively participate in many large and small modern dance competitions nationwide to enhance and expand opportunities for self-learning and their members and students.

Taking the profession seriously with a desire to change the public's view and perception of hip-hop, Chau shared that modern dance is not only entertaining, but it also involves investing time, effort, and creativity in generating ideas and conveying the artist's imaginative concepts. However, most of the choreographed works only satisfy the visual aspect, lacking much depth and emotion to engage the audience.

Therefore, becoming a member of Da Nang’s Dance Artists Association is an opportunity for him to learn knowledge and experience from previous generations of artists such as People's Artist Le Huan, former Chairman of the Association, artist-choreographer Kim Ngoc, Chairman of the Association, to develop a more profound deeper and comprehensive understanding of artistic activities, including the modern dance that he is pursuing; thereby, perfecting his role as a choreographer and dance instructor.

For hip-hop artist Le Hoang Chau and his associates, dancers involved in managing and operating at Galaxy Dance Centre, the 19-year journey has been a persistent pursuit, traded with sweat and even tears to turn their youthful dreams into reality. For the time being, they have constantly continued to strive to improve and achieve a better position in the artistic environment.

Reporting by KHANH HOA - Translating by T.VY