That night there was a show put on for us.  They use local dancers.  This is the same as the other shows we have seen, they all tell a story from legends passed down for hundreds of years.

The Dancers

We did not have a good translator to tell us what the various dances were so you will just have to use your imagination as to what the story is they are telling.

Veils come to mind.

The music was great, some of the songs sounded like pop Vietnamese music, I guess what I am trying to say is the music sounded very modern.  I’m not sure if they have adapted the dances to more modern music or if this music is what has been used all along.

They made music with these hollow bamboo instruments.

Some of the dances were flirty where in the end one couple fall in love; some were about warriors, others day to day life in the village.

This was a dance using fighting instruments.

The bowls and chopstick dance, once again they made music using the chopsticks against the bowls.

Fan dance for one man only, we have no idea what this dance was about.

Later on the girls used the fans for a lovely dance routine.

They snap the bamboo together, I’m sure they have bruised ankles when first learning this dance.

And finally the drinking of the rice wine through a very long straw or reed.

John is mimicking the guide who was showing him how to suck the rice wine up the reed.  It really is true; a picture is worth a thousand words.

And he is off...John and this Aussie really enjoyed the rice wine, they hung in there to the very last drop.