129BPM - Contemporary Hip Hop Dance Theatre

Step into the pulse of contemporary Vietnam with “129BPM”, a bold 70-minute performance where street dance merges with Vietnamese contemporary folk music and flowing fabric sculpture. Anchored by the rhythm of 129 beats per minute—the average tempo of a heart under strain—the work transforms the stage into a visceral journey through identity, dissonance, and human connection in an increasingly urbanised world.

Choreographed by Vietnamese-French artist Bui Ngoc Quan, “129BPM” is a raw and spiritual quest that explores the fragile balance between individuality and collectivity. As the dancers push their physical and emotional limits, their bodies become vessels for resistance, longing, and release—posing the urgent question: Can we find a shared rhythm that allows us to move together, even in our differences?

The project marks a historic milestone as the first Vietnamese production to be presented at George Town Festival. It also heralds Bui Ngoc Quan’s long-awaited Southeast Asian debut after 25 years with the acclaimed Belgian company Les Ballets C de la B.

“129BPM” is co-produced by H2Q Dance Company and the Goethe-Institut Ho Chi Minh City in 2024. The touring work at George Town Festival 2025 is presented & managed by MORUA with travel sponsored by AirAsia and partial support from Đối South.

Don’t miss this genre-defying performance that pulses with intensity and insight—a powerful experience that moves both heart and mind.

CREDIT
Director & Choreographer | BUI NGOC QUAN
Scenographer & Lighting Designer | MARA-MADELEINE PIELER
Music Composers & Live Band | TINY GIANT (BUI LINH HÀ & TOBIAS JAMES PARAMORE) & NGUYEN DAN DUONG
Touring Performers | NGUYEN DUY THANH, LAM DUY PHUONG, LUONG THAI SON, NGUYEN HOANG BAO NGOC, NGUYEN DO QUOC KHANH, BUI QUANG HUY, VU TIEN THO
Choreographer Assistant & Stage Manager | NGUYEN KHAC DAT
Touring Costume | KHANH
Sound Engineer | LE TUAN ANH (BOMB)
Light Operator | PHUNG QUANG CHIEN
Producer & Tour Manager | NGUYEN HAI YEN (RED)
Production & Tour Assistant | WU LAM DUC KHANG, DOAN TUONG VI

H2Q DANCE COMPANY
Founded in 2019 by a group of diasporic Vietnamese choreographers working in Europe, with artistic direction led by Bùi Ngọc Quang (Les Ballets C de la B, Belgium), H2Q Dance Company is one of the few independent contemporary dance troupes in Vietnam that has established a distinctive voice by exploring new ways of telling contemporary Vietnamese stories through dance and dance theatre.

The company is recognised for introducing innovative choreographic approaches through original works co-created by invited overseas and diasporic Vietnamese choreographers. By challenging local dancers in a professional production setting and engaging with cutting-edge choreographers with unique methods, H2Q has evolved into a platform for nurturing Vietnam’s emerging dance community.

“Method” (2019, choreographed by Ross McCormack) and “129BPM” (2024, choreographed by Quang Bùi Ngọc) are among the company’s most celebrated works.

MORUA
Founded in 2020, MORUA is a Vietnam-based platform dedicated to building a sustainable infrastructure for experimental dance and nurturing new performance makers in Vietnam. It does so through a range of initiatives, including residencies, capacity-building programmes, local and international collaborative projects, and festivals.

In Vietnam’s central dialect, MORUA means “somewhere” — a word that fully captures the platform’s spirit as a space in between, a space for experimentation and meaningful breakthroughs. MORUA places particular focus on emerging practitioners from indigenous communities and regions with limited access to contemporary art.

The platform remains committed to amplifying Vietnam’s experimental performance scene and fostering regional connections, with a new festival set to take place in 2027.