To celebrate Europe Day (May 9), the European Union (EU) Delegation to Vietnam is organizing a special contemporary ballet to the music of Vivaldi's legendary Four Seasons.

The ballet Do (Poohnah) will be performed at the Hanoi Opera House on the evening of May 10.

The ballet, choreographed by Phan Luong and Vu Ngoc Khai, is a fusion of European classical music and imageries and stories from Vietnamese culture, expressed through the artistic language of contemporary ballet. The program also conveys a sense of movement, flexibility, newness and convergence - core values of the European Union.

The ballet is a combination of Vietnamese cultural identities and European music. Photo courtesy of the EU Delegation.

According to EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier, Europe Day is the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration for European unity, where the common roof - Europe - provides peace, prosperity and freedom for people.

"This day is also an opportunity for us to commemorate past achievements, but also to look ahead to how we can shape our European future together and inspire the partnerships we forge beyond Europe's borders," he said.

"In this sense, cultural exchanges such as the Ballet Do unite us by giving a common sense, beyond aid, trade or politics, to the essence of the beauty of art. We want to promote the unique and refined music of the European continent and the growing artistic talent in Vietnam that we have witnessed in recent years. And we are proud to demonstrate this cultural cooperation between the EU and Vietnam and to cherish it in this unique ballet," added Ambassador Julien Guerrier.

The music in the artwork serves as a link between the past and present of European classical music, introducing Vietnamese audiences to Vivaldi's legendary Four Seasons, remastered by renowned composer Max Richter.

The music will be performed live by the Do Orchestra, which is made up of artists from the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, the Sun Symphony Orchestra and the Vietnam National Opera and Theatre, conducted by Dong Quang Vinh.

Written in 1723, the timeless Four Seasons paints vivid countryside scenes while conjuring up a world of sounds depicting natural phenomena and human life. Through the artistic inputs of Phan Luong and Vu Ngoc Khai, the dances and movements of the piece form an emotive response to the music of the Four Seasons, depicting a diverse range of soulful expressions of the symphony of life.

Winter is not only a conversation with the world of nature but also an inner journey in search of meaning and purpose, while autumn reflects moments of tranquillity under a wide open sky.

Summer revolves around the most wondrous and eventful years in one’s life, through weather systems, perturbation, and tranquillity alike.

The ballet ends where seasons begin – Spring, when all things bloom, are reborn, with all worries left behind, and nature and humans coming together in harmony.