Two Vietnamese artists who trained in contemporary art in the Netherlands have combined forces to create a dance and music show that will premiere in HCM City on June 13.

Non (conical hat) will feature contemporary dance and traditional Vietnamese music.

In May 2014 Vu Ngoc Khai and Ngo Hong Quang first met in HCM City and discovered that they both trained in the Netherlands.

They then started to work on Non in January this year in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Their artistic inspiration comes from Vietnamese elements like non (conical hat) and banh chung and day (square and round sticky rice cakes), the country's soil and water and traditional musical instruments.

Khai is a dancer and choreographer who has studied and worked in Vietnam and Europe.

In 2006, he got a scholarship from the Dutch consulate to study at the Rotterdam Dance Academy. Since then he has worked for a number of dance companies and theatres in Vietnam, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

Khai says, "Dance gives me breath, dance gives me frame, dance gives me sound, light, space, sense and a real true feeling...''

Over the years Quang and his magical dan nhi (Vietnamese two-chord fiddle) have impressed audiences not only in Vietnam but also in Thailand, the Republic of Korea and European countries.

He learnt various types of traditional instruments at the Vietnam National Academy of Music and in mountainous areas around the country.

Recently he studied contemporary composition at the Den Haag Royal Conservatory of music in the Netherlands. He can now sing and play a clutch of traditional instruments.

The show is being organised by the French Institute of HCM City at IDECAF.-VNA