Religious dance may sound similar to the also-mentioned religious belief category of dance, but is more structured to the three main organized religions of Buddhism, Catholicism and Brahmanism. They are not numerous, but still occupy enough cultural space to form this peculiar category.
Religious belief dance
Religious belief dance is closely connected to ceremonies, beliefs and customs of Vietnamese nationalities.
It has been given the strange title of religious belief dance, due to the reflected spiritual features displayed. The dances often worship spirits and genies, facilitate prayer or pay homage to the deceased.
Modern dancing
Vietnamese modern dance started developing around 1945. It consists of a combination of materials; some from the folk dance period and others from the new era.
Some of the dance styles which were derived from the folk dance period include the umbrella dance, khen dancing, the Cham dance, and the peacock dance. In recent years, the Vietnamese modern dance has absorbed international and European classical influences, especially in dances to accompany popular music.