HÀ NỘI — A total of 188 students will compete in the first National  Student Dance Talent Competition 2026, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism from November 3 to 12.

The competition will be held in HCM City and Hà Nội, bringing together students aged 14 to 35 from art schools nationwide. It features four categories ballet, contemporary dance, folk dance and choreography.

Speaking at a press conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tạ Quang Đông said the ministry will organise a nationwide dance competition for students for the first time to assess training outcomes and discover and nurture young talent in Vietnamese dance.

“In recent years, dance training programmes at home and abroad have received strong support from the Party and State,” Đông said.

“Combined with efforts by training institutions, these programmes have yielded positive results and helped build a pool of skilled professionals in the cultural and arts sectors.”

The competition will provide an opportunity to assess the results of these efforts while giving students a platform to showcase their technical skills and creativity.

Performances will be judged on technique, movement vocabulary, performance skills, artistic expression, creativity and overall impact.

Through their works, participants are encouraged to explore Việt Nam’s cultural and historical heritage and its people, promote national identity and humanistic values, and experiment with new forms of expression that blend traditional and contemporary elements.

The five-member judging panel comprises artists, educators and experts in performance, training and choreography. It is chaired by People’s Artist Hà Thế Dũng, vice president of the Việt Nam Dance Artists Association and chairman of the art council of the HCM City Dance Artists Association. — VNS