MEDIUMSHIP DANCE IN THEATRE ARTS

Abstract

This article examines the theatricalization of múa đồng (mediumship dance) as a form of intersection between
the Lên đồng ritual and contemporary performance arts. Drawing on an interdisciplinary approach that
integrates theatre studies, performance studies, and ritual anthropology, the article analyzes three spaces of
transformation꞉ theatrical productions, professional dance stages, and popular/televised performances, through
selected case studies (Hầu văn Xá thượng, Hóa vàng, Nam Phương Mẫu tế; the music video Tứ Phủ; and the
performance Phong Nữ ‑ Cô Đôi Thượng Ngàn). The findings indicate that when múa đồng is transferred to the
stage, it shifts from a primarily religious function to an aesthetic one, undergoing a reconfiguration of
movement vocabulary, music, props, costumes, and spatial‑lighting design to construct an artistic and media
oriented “sacred space.” The article concludes that theatricalization constitutes a process of meaning re
creation and negotiation between the sacred and the secular, which requires a careful approach in order to
broaden public reception while avoiding the reduction or oversimplification of cultural heritage.