Ballroom
During the colonial period ballroom dancing (
khiêu vũ quốc tế) became popular amongst the higher echelons of society but few ordinary Vietnamese could afford to participate. In the latter days of French rule dance clubs employed talented Chinese dancers from Shanghai as teachers and employed the services of musical groups such as Myosotis to provide the musical accompaniment to high-society balls.
Ballroom dancing ceased after independence but was revived during the 1970s, largely it is said thanks to cultural exchange activities involving Cuba. Since that time informal schools and clubs have been established all over the country and amateur ballroom dancing has become a favourite national pastime. Việt Nam now has many skilled ballroom dancers but ballroom dancing does not yet feature on the curricula of the two dance schools, neither is it promoted by the country's traditional dance and culture associations. Most importantly, since there is still no official ballroom dancing authority to enforce correct international technique, Việt Nam has yet to take its rightful place in the international world of competitive ballroom dancing. Despite this fact, in August 2003 Vietnamese dance partners Chi Anh and Khánh Thi took second prize at the Amateur Latin America Dance Competition in Paris.
