HA NOI (VNS)  — Eight dance troupes from Asia and Hungary will participate in the First International Dance Festival 2014 which will be hosted by Viet Nam.

The festival, which will be held from April 14 to 18, will attract artists from Cambodia, Mongolia, South Korea, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Laos and Viet Nam.

The Asian and European troupes will compete for the gold and silver medals in the festival. The dances will be 20-minute-long performances, which will highlight the traditional and cultural characteristics of each nation. Avant-garde compositions will be encouraged.

The five-member jury will include Vietnamese artist Ha The Dung, head of HCM City Dance College, and two persons from the Philippines and Australia.

The dance festival is being organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote culture and art cooperation between Viet Nam and other countries, according to Deputy Culture Minister Vuong Duy Bien.

"It is the first step towards make a brand name for the dance festival in Viet Nam. The festival will be an opportunity for Vietnamese audiences to watch unique performances by international artists. It is also a chance for the Vietnamese dancers to understand the quintessence of dance," Bien said.

"Cultural experts will review the state of Vietnamese dance and determine creative methods for boosting the art of dance in Viet Nam," he added. — VNS