Choreographer Nguyen Cong Nhac is director of the Vietnam Opera and Ballet Theatre and also a ballet teacher. He has played an active role in a project to develop Vietnamese culture, cooperating with a number of French artists to choreograph various works, such as Drought and Rain (Part Two) and the Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps).

The French medal was founded by General de Gaulle for outstanding achievements in the fields of art and letters.

Earlier this year, two other well-known Vietnamese artists, designer Minh Hanh and late film director Le Manh Thich, were awarded the noble medal.