(VOVWORLD) - Nguyen Hong Truc Vi, a circus performer with the Phuong Nam Art Theater, has been honored as one of 14 outstanding young citizens of Ho Chi Minh city, representing the cultural and artistic field. Vi, who won first prize in the national circus talent contest, had to work very hard to achieve her victory.
 A circus performance by Truc Vi. (Photo courtesy of Truc Vi) |
Watching Vi perform, you wouldn’t guess that she was once reluctant to get involved in the circus.
When she was 9, Vi refused to attend circus training sessions introduced by her neighbor, a circus artist. It took her father, a big fan of circus, a long time to persuade her to give it a try. After taking part in several performances, however, Vi began to develop a passion for circus.
“I had a hard time at first. The first technique I practiced was bending backwards. It was very painful. Several times I nearly gave up. I was busy at the same time with my studies at school, and it was difficult to arrange time to practice. But my parents strongly encouraged me to continue,” said Vi.
Ms. Vo Thi Luom, Vi’s mother, said she felt pain herself whenever Vi was injured at practice. But she encouraged her daughter to work through all the difficulties and made sure Vi never missed any training. Now that Vi is a professional circus artist, she still feels nervous watching her daughter perform.
Ms. Luom says she hopes her daughter’s career will be increasingly successful.
“I hope Vi’s job will be stable, and that she will continue practicing to improve her skills and become more successful.”
 Nguyen Hong Truc Vi (L) and her mother at a ceremony to honor 14 outstanding young citizens of Ho Chi Minh city in 2021. (Photo: Vu Huong) |
To give a strong performance on stage, Vi has to practice constantly and keep refining her performance, which requires unflagging effort and sacrifice.
Meritorious artist Luu Thi Bich Lien, who is Vi’s trainer at the Phuong Nam Art Theater, says Vi was not what one would call a natural-born circus person.
She has had to work very hard to master the skills. After a long journey involving a lot of pain and hard work, Vi can now perform the most difficult physical contortions.
“Despite her youth, Vi has already made a great contribution to the circus. It is her passion for the circus that has enabled Vi to accomplish so much,” said Ms. Lien.
In her 20-year career, Truc Vi has performed many times for audiences inside and outside Vietnam. Vi says she will do her best to meet new challenges and bring the circus art to a wider public.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, suddenly out of the spotlight when performances were shut down, Truc Vi joined a group of young volunteer performing artists to promote pandemic prevention and control measures.