Dancing on water – a new experiment by puppet performers

The Vietnam Puppetry Theatre will celebrate its 70th founding anniversary on March 12, 2026. Over the past seven decades, the theatre has played an important role in spreading the art of puppetry and promoting Vietnam’s cultural identity to audiences at home and abroad.

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The art of puppetry has also continued to evolve through constant innovation and creativity, becoming a distinctive “cultural language” that helps shape and strengthen Vietnam’s cultural identity in the modern era.

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Puppetry is a unique form of folk art that reflects the spirit and cultural identity of Vietnam. From the festive drumbeats by village ponds to the bright lights of professional stages, puppetry has remained a symbol of creativity, craftsmanship, and the optimistic spirit of the Vietnamese people.

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Water puppetry is a signature art form and a source of pride for Vietnamese puppetry. However, dry puppetry and rod puppetry also have long-standing traditions and histories, closely connected to the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.

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The special art programme celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, along with the ceremony to receive the Third-Class Labour Order, will feature a creative combination of water puppetry and dry puppetry. The performance will also integrate dance, installation art, and music, including emotional songs and a special piece composed to mark the theatre’s 70th anniversary.

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Introducing dry puppetry performances into the traditional water puppetry pavilion stage is a distinctive and innovative experiment by the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre.

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According to People’s Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, this combination both preserves traditional values and reflects a bold spirit of innovation, helping puppetry truly integrate into contemporary cultural life.

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Dry puppetry is already a demanding art form, while water puppetry is even more distinctive. Performing dry puppetry on the water stage makes it even more challenging and unique.

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In particular, the combination of dry puppetry performed on the water puppetry pavilion stage has been experimentally developed by People’s Artist Nguyen Tien Dung. This creative approach has brought many fresh and unique experiences to audiences and has been highly appreciated by the public.

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Artist Nguyen Huu Hiep shares that the 70th anniversary of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre is an occasion to honour and express gratitude to Vietnamese puppetry and to the generations of predecessors who have contributed to preserving and developing this art form.

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To prepare for the special programme, performers have been working tirelessly in recent days. Braving rain and sun, they spend long hours standing in water at the puppetry pavilion, rehearsing meaningful performances for the upcoming event.

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People’s Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, is personally choreographing, directing, and guiding the performers as they rehearse at the water puppetry pavilion.

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Every hand movement and puppet gesture is carefully corrected and practiced on land before the performers move into the water to rehearse together at the puppetry pavilion.

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The puppetry performances in the programme celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre will also incorporate installation art, lighting design, music, and choreography. These elements bring a contemporary spirit to the show while remaining accessible, vibrant, and creative.

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Every performance and every movement by the artists is personally directed and carefully refined by People’s Artist Nguyen Tien Dung.

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Through the control rods, the puppets in rod puppetry, a form of dry puppetry, move with softness and grace, becoming expressive and fluid like real dancers on stage.

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Even more striking is when these rod-puppet “dancers” perform their graceful movements beneath the water on the traditional water puppetry pavilion stage, creating a performance that is even more distinctive and captivating.