BY day, Le Yen Quyen works as a pharmacist at her local health clinic in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.
At night, she dances under the head of a lion on perilously high metal poles, practising her moves ahead of Lunar New Year festivities.
Quyen, 27, was one of the first women to join the Tu Anh Duong lion and dragon dance troupe, where performers mimic the movements of the creatures to bring good luck and dispel evil spirits.
Evening after evening in the southern city of Can Tho, she perfects the stunts she will show off during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year holiday which begins next week.
Her baby daughter, who accompanies her to every session, looks on from the sidelines.
"To get good at lion dancing you have to be patient... take risks," Quyen, whose husband is also a dancer in the troupe, told AFP.
"It was very difficult at the beginning. I injured my hands and feet."
Central to the routine are 21 metal plinths, some standing at more than two metres (6.6 feet), which dancers must jump between to symbolise the challenging stages in life that must be overcome.
Towering over them all is a seven-metre (23-foot) pole -- the ultimate spot to showcase the complex twists and turns of the lion dance.
Trailblazing
As a Taekwondo black belt, Quyen already had the agility and power to excel at the dance, which has been performed for centuries -- largely by men -- in Vietnam and other parts of Asia.
But to join, she had to overcome resistance from the local community, who said it was too challenging for a woman.
It was her talent that eventually convinced them, said Quyen, who has won dozens of gold medals at local and national lion and dragon dance competitions.
"I am proud to be the person who has inspired other girls," she said, explaining that there are now 20 women in the troupe.
One of those is Luu Thi Kim Thuong, 17, who signed up with four of her friends, despite a fear of heights.
"When I trained at the beginning, I was scared... and I couldn't climb to the very top. But gradually, I climbed higher and higher day by day," Thuong said.
"It took me three months to climb the high poles."
Training for two to three hours after school each day, she said she has built great chemistry with her fellow dancers.
That is crucial for such a demanding sport, she added.
"We have to communicate, to understand each other. If something is wrong, one of us has to say it out loud so we can fix it together."
ETX Studio
Sat Feb 06 2021
Training for two to three hours after school each day, Quyen said she has built great chemistry with her fellow dancers. - ETXStudiopic
Ajaran The Ahmadi cuba disebarkan semula
Ajaran The Ahmadi cuba disebarkan semula walaupun telah lama difatwakan sesat oleh pihak berkuasa agama Islam di peringkat Persekutuan dan negeri-negeri.
Pertemuan Anwar, Sheikh Mohammed medan terbaik Malaysia faham situasi terkini di Gaza
Malaysia melihat peranan Qatar sangat signifikan memandangkan negara itu merupakan orang penting dalam rundingan antara Palestin dan Israel.
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin dan polis Florida bertempur
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin bertempur dengan polis di Orlando, Florida, pada Sabtu.
Menurut penunjuk perasaan yang menggesa gencatan senjata di Gaza, polis menyembur semburan lada dan gas pemedih mata ke atas kebanyakan wanita dan kanak-kanak yang berdemonstrasi secara aman di sebuah taman.
Menurut penunjuk perasaan yang menggesa gencatan senjata di Gaza, polis menyembur semburan lada dan gas pemedih mata ke atas kebanyakan wanita dan kanak-kanak yang berdemonstrasi secara aman di sebuah taman.
Letupan dahsyat, asap hitam penuhi utara Gaza
Tentera Israel menyeru penduduk Palestin yang berlindung di kawasan Jabalia di utara Gaza untuk mengosongkan kawasan berkenaan selepas mendapat maklumat kononnya Hamas cuba memulihkan semula kawalannya di kawasan itu.
Nasihat Wan Rosdy kepada ahli UMNO: “Ikhlas sertai parti, buang sikap pentingkan diri”
Sikap pentingkan diri menjadi masalah dalaman parti dan andai dibiarkan boleh merosakkan keutuhan UMNO.
Tentera Israel arah penduduk Palestin berpindah dari Rafah
Arahan berpindah itu dikeluarkan menerusi risalah yang digugurkan dari udara.
Bas terbalik di lebuh raya PLUS, 41 penumpang terselamat
Seramai 41 penumpang termasuk pemandu terselamat setelah bas persiaran yang dinaiki mereka terbabas lalu terbalik di kilometer 264.5 lebuhraya utara selatan (PLUS), arah selatan hari ini.
Wartawan baharu perlu aktif turun padang, elak ‘cerita’ disampaikan hambar
Pengamal media perlu aktif turun lapangan bagi mencari bahan berita lebih tulen tanpa perlu bergantung sepenuhnya kepada maklumat diperoleh atau dikongsikan melalui media sosial.
AWANI Ringkas: Dijangka catat dagangan dalam julat kecil
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Laporan Amerika dedahkan Israel salah guna bantuan senjata
Pentadbiran Joe Biden mendapati Israel menggunakan bantuan senjata dari AS tanpa mengikut lunas undang-undang antarabangsa.
Manchester City buka sekolah di Vietnam
Dwight School Hanoi sedia membentuk bakat muda di kampus termaju seluas 41,000 kaki persegi di The Manor Central Park, Hanoi.
Piala Asia B-23: Harapan besar lihat Indonesia ulang pencapaian Vietnam
Media Indonesia mengharapkan pasukan mereka layak ke final Piala Asia B-23 AFC 2024 seperti yang dilakukan Vietnam enam tahun lalu.
Piala Asia B-23: Peluang Harimau Muda ke suku akhir semakin pudar
Skuad negara semakin sukar meneruskan kempen memandangkan nasib mereka bergantung kepada keputusan pasukan lain selain perbezaan jaringan besar.
Piala Asia B-23: Vietnam intai peluang benam Malaysia, layak ke suku akhir
Vietnam mencari peluang untuk memastikan slot ke suku akhir Piala Asia B23 apabila berdepan Malaysia malam ini.
Kelayakan Piala Dunia/Piala Asia: Indonesia gagal dapatkan semula dua pemain penting
Masalah kertas kerja akan menghalang Thom Haye dan Ragnar Oratmangoen daripada bermain untuk Indonesia bagi kelayakan Piala Dunia.
Ekonomi Filipina paling pesat di Asia Tenggara, pinggirkan Malaysia, Vietnam
Filipina mengatasi Vietnam dan Malaysia untuk menjadi ekonomi yang paling pesat berkembang di Asia Tenggara pada 2023, dengan pertumbuhan dipacu kepenggunaan, perkhidmatan dan pelaburan.
Gol penalti Asnawi julang Indonesia, singkir Vietnam
Asnawi Mangkualam Bahar muncul wira Indonesia apabila menjaringkan gol kemenangan menerusi penalti pada babak pertama perlawanan.
Piala Asia: Vietnam bakal layani Indonesia seperti bertemu Jepun - Nguyen Filip
Pertembungan Piala Asia Kumpulan D antara Vietnam dan Indonesia bakal menjadi pertembungan derby Asia Tenggara pertama buat Nguyen Filip.
Jepun bermandi peluh sebelum atasi skuad muda Vietnam 4-2
Pemain berusia 28 tahun itu mempamerkan sentuhan berbisanya apabila menjaringkan dua gol selain turut melakukan satu bantuan jaringan.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.