After two successful nights in Saigon last year, a mesmerizing contemporary hip-hop dance performance is bringing its raw energy abroad.
In December last year, H2Q Dance Company performed “129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén” at the Southern Military Theatre, making choreographer Bùi Ngọc Quân’s first (proper) independent production in Vietnam after over two decades with Les Ballets C de la B in Belgium, one of Europe’s most renowned dance companies.
The show blended dynamic live music by the duo Tiny Giant and drummer Đan Dương, evocative stage design by German artist Mara Madeleine Pieler, and captivating choreography performed by eight talented street dancers.
This year, the creative collaboration is bringing “129BPM” abroad to Malaysia as part of the George Town Festival 2025, the first time that a performance art piece from Vietnam is included in the Malaysian art event. Viewers will be able to enjoy “129BPM” for two nights on August 4 and 5 at the historic Dewan Sri Pinang concert hall in George Town, Penang.
First created in 2010, George Town Festival is an annual art festival held in Penang, Malaysia to commemorate the UNESCO World Heritage Site status of the island town, awarded in 2008. Throughout the event, programs are often organized at different historic venues across George Town, from heritage buildings, amphitheaters to quaint alleys.
“‘129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén’ is not your usual hip-hop breakdance battle, but a contemporary dance performance combining live music with Vietnamese folk elements. It is a journey that requires your full presence and attention to appreciate its fleeting and transformative moments,” writes An Trần in Saigoneer’s review of last year's show. Read the full piece here.
In 2024, “129BPM” was co-produced by H2Q Dance Company and the Hồ Chí Minh City Goethe-Institut. In 2025, the performances at George Town Festival 2025 are presented and run by MORUA Co. Ltd with transportation partner AirAsia.
Images courtesy of H2Q Dance Company.
Visit the official “129BPM” page on the George Town Festival website for more information and ticket booking.
