Mao Et, one of a few enthusiasts of Thai ethnic culture in Dien Bien, said that the Xoe dance is often accompanied with a drum, two or three gongs, a pair of cymbals, and several bamboo tubes. In some places, performers also utilise flutes and panpipes during the dance.
Although the melodies and rhythm of the music for the dance are simple and repetitive, it can generate a powerful sense of appeal among attendants.
Since 2016 when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a decision on building a dossier on the Xoe Thai dance to seek the UNESCO title as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, tremendous effort has been made by the Dien Bien provincial authorities, cultural sector, and Thai ethnic community to conduct research and preserve and hand down the practice to younger generations.
Accordingly, two classes on Xoe Thai dance were held in 2019 and 2020, drawing positive participation and an enthusiastic response from learners.
The local cultural sector has also integrated the Xoe Thai dance into its cultural events and festivals as a way to popularise the dance among the public and raise their awareness of the traditional intangible cultural heritage.
As a folklore dance of the Thai ethnic group, Xoe is a cultural symbol of people in the north-western region. Following gentle and alluring rhythms, dancers usually form a circle around a festive flame and move to the sound of melodic traditional music.
It is said that there are about 30 Xoe dances, but only six of them are most practiced in today’s life, including kham khen (holding hands), don hon (step up and down), pha xi (four-step dance), nhom khan (dance with a scarf), kham khan moi lau (making a toast), and om lom top mu (clapping hands while dancing in a circle).
Source: Nhan Dan Online
