The 2nd Annual Ao Dai Festival to attract thousands to Downtown San Jose for a celebration of Viet

Aug. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- San Jose, CA  Aug. 24, 2012 – The 2012 Ao Dai Festival: A Celebration of Vietnamese Art and Culture will take place on Saturday, September 15, 2012 from 12 noon to 5pm. The event is hosted by the Friends of Hue Foundation and the GreenRice Foundation, Inc. All festival proceeds will benefit the FHF Children Shelter located in Hue, Vietnam.

The “Ao Dai”, the elegant gown worn by Vietnamese women, has become the symbol of feminine beauty, and the pride of the Vietnamese people.

The all day festival, held at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts plaza will feature music, art, food, and fashion and is free to the public. A special opening ceremony with 100 models in Ao Dai and 25 drummers and 25 zither players will take place at 3pm along with the symbolic lion dance.

In addition to the outdoor festivities, there will be an Art Symposium and Exhibit presented by DVAN, Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network http://www.dvanonline.com/. Featured artists include Trinh Mai, Trinh Ponce, Ann Phong, Thai Bui, Cao Ba Minh, Anhvu Buchanan, Truong Tran, and Isabelle Thuy Pelaud. (tickets: $10).

A special evening concert/theatrical fashion show will be held in the theater starting at 6pm. and will feature internationally renowned designers: Minh Hanh, Si Hoang, Duc Hung, Quang Chanh, Nguyen Dan, Debbie Nghiem, and Ella Vietnam, showcasing their modern interpretations of the Ao Dai fashions. An original script developed by Dan Do tells the story of the history and mythology of the Ao Dai will feature dancers, singer Ngoc Ha and the music of Emmy Award winner Van Anh Vanessa Vo and ensemble http://www.vananhvo.com/.

An awards ceremony, hosted by MC Vicky Nguyen, news reporter for NBC Bay Area http://www.nbcbayarea.com/ will recognize this year’s humanitarian award recipient as well as the best Ao Dai worn to the event by the attendees. The show will culminate in a special finale performance of “Vietnam, Vietnam” arranged by Tran Quang Nam and choir.

Tickets for the evening performance are available at sjtix.com or at the Ao Dai Festival website: http://www.aodaifestival.com. For more information contact Jenny Do at info@aodaifestival.com or call 408-915-9299.
http://www.friendsofhue.org