God of Prosperity dance goes downtown

      A new kind of dance, the God of Prosperity dance, has become popular in HCM City recently, besides unicorn-lion-dragon dance.
This dance was popular in HCM City during the lunar New Year festival 2009. More God of Prosperity dance troupes were seen on the street than unicorn-lion-dragon dance troupes.
A God of Prosperity dance troupe comprises eight to ten dancers, with one tall man to play the role of the God of Prosperity. One short man goes with the tall one, playing the role of a funny man. One man plays cymbals, two play drums, and one collects money.
Tu Ech, the chief of a God of Prosperity dance troupe, said: “Troupes with two cymbals players are the new ones, which don’t know how to perform the God of Prosperity dance.”
This man gathered relatives, friends and neighbours in Truong Lac ward, O Mon district, Can Tho city, to set up four God of Prosperity dance troupes to perform in HCM City during Tet.
Some other God of Prosperity dance troupes from Can Tho also came to HCM City this Tet.
God of Prosperity dance troupes have to walk a lot but all members always have to smile. They call on restaurants and families to dance for 5 minutes to wish them a prosperous year. If restaurant owners or family masters like their dances, they may give dance troupes some money.
“Many foreign visitors follow us to take photos,” Tu Ech said.
He said this is the second Tet he went to HCM City to dance and to earn money. The troupe hired a house to stay in at night. During the day they danced on the street.
“This Tet we didn’t earn much because there were so many God of Prosperity dance troupes. Some families gave us VND50,000, some others VND20,000 and even VND5,000. We had to come home very early,” said Linh, a female member of a God of Prosperity dance troupe named Dao-Tuyet from Can Tho city.
“We were banned from dancing in District 1 because it is the central area,” Tu Ech said.
He said his troupes also had to return home very early. “We have to prepare for the new crop,” he said.
God of Prosperity dances seem to be suitable for rural areas, more so than for cities. In the southern region, God of Prosperity dance troupes often gather for practice several days before festivals. The troupe walks down village roads to dance and receive water bottles or cigarettes from the audience. These troupes then go to big cities to seek money.
In HCM City, God of Prosperity dance troupes can’t compete with professional, large unicorn-lion-dragon dance troupes like Nhon Nghia Duong, Hang Anh Duong, Thang Nghia Duong and Lien Huu Duong, which are famous in Southeast Asia.
However, God of Prosperity dance troupes of farmers have their own attractiveness and characteristics, which show the simplicity and country-field qualities of southern farmers.