(Photo: TVTS)
A group of Vietnamese seniors have held an event this week to celebrate their club’s ten year anniversary.
The Lac Viet cultural group, which is under the umbrella of the Vietnamese Senior Cultural Association, consists of about 30 men and women aged over 60 – who share a common interest in Vietnamese culture.
The Vietnamese Senior Cultural Association celebrated the tenth year anniversary of its Lac Viet cultural group on Tuesday, June 6.
Friends from the Vietnamese-Australian community as well as guests from local councils and organisations such as the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association and the Indochinese Elderly Association were invited to the five-hour event held at the Samarinda Ashburton Aged Services in Boroondara city.
Entertainment included live music performances and dance acts, with dancers demonstrating graceful movements that can be seen in traditional dances from different regions of Vietnam.
In a speech, President of the VSCA, Yen Bui, explained that the Lac Viet dance group began with a small number of people and eventually grew bigger.
“In 2007, our Lac Viet group was established from a very humble beginning with six ladies, ages ranging from 55 to 65, got together every week to share our common interests in vietnamses cultural dancing, singing and cooking,” Mrs Bui said.
In 2009, with the financial support of the City of Boroondara, the Lac Viet group was officially registered as part of the Vietnamese Senior Cultural Association.
Today, the Lac Viet dance group consists of about 30 men and women.
Huyen was one of the first members to join the group.
“The best part of living here is (because of) our community centre. I love music. Music brings happiness to everyone, we can’t deny that. So when Yen asked me to join the singing group, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” she said.
“Ten years ago, we had only six ladies and only on instrument, the tambourine. And now, ten years later, we have a talented live band with an amazing and wonderful singing teacher, a dancing group and more people to get into the VSCA family.
“In this community centre, I live a happy, joyful and active life.”
Mayor of Monash City, Councilor Rebecca Paterson congratulated the group for contributing to the multicultural life in Victoria.
“Groups such as these are so important and this group in particular performs a number of functions, connecting with seniors and getting them out into the community and connecting with others,” she said.
“Connect with the wonderful Vietnamese culture and making sure that that culture can continue here in Australia, and it can contribute back into the Australian culture through things such as dancing.”
The name “Lac Viet” is known in written history as the ancient Vietnamese people who originated from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China.
They are particularly associated with the Bronze Age Dong Son culture of mainland Southeast Asia.
Over the years, VSCA’s Lac Viet group has performed at many local community festivals, sharing the Vietnamese culture as much as they can.
The aim of the group is to create a healthy, physical and mental environment for its members.
Mayor of Boroondara, Councilor Phillip Healey, praised the Lac Viet dance group for staying healthy and active.
“They’re a great group,” he told Tivi Tuan-san, “They bring together their culture that they brought to Australia.”
“They celebrate and share their culture but they use dance and friendship, food and song to keep well… Look how well they are. They look faboulous, I think we can learn a lot.
“I know that they also are outreach so anyone is welcome here, regardless of your cultural background, and that’s what we like,” Cr Healey added.
“We like multiculturalism and we like people to outreach and we like people to go out of home and be active,” he said.
“The secret to ageing well can be found here in Ashburton at Lac Viet.”
Source: https://tvtsonline.com.au/uncategorized/vscas-senior-lac-viet-cultural-group-celebrates-10th-birthday/
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