Established in 1951, the Việt Nam Song Dance and Music Theatre is charged with responsibility for: (i) researching and documenting the traditional folkloric music and dance of the Vietnamese people; (ii) training and enhancing the skills of performing artists; and (iii) presenting the rich traditional music and dance arts heritage of Việt Nam to audiences both in Việt Nam and overseas. The company incorporates in its repertoire the folk songs, music and dances of many of the country’s ethnic minority groups, including H'mông, Thái, Tày and Mường from the far north and the Gia-rai and Ba-na from the central highlands. The company includes numerous People’s Artists (Nghệ sĩ Nhân dân, NSND) and Excellent Artists (Nghệ sĩ Ưu tú, NSƯT) and has toured extensively to Russia, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Albania, the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Mexico, the USA, Canada, Cuba, Chile, Laos, Cambodia, North and South Korea, the Philippines and Malaysia.