A leader must know how to ignite passion.

(Baonghean) - A reporter from Baonghean Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Hoang Dang Bao - Chairman of the Dance Sport Club of Vinh City.

- Hello Mr. Hoang Dang Bao! As we know, the October 15th Award is a prestigious award presented by the Vietnam Youth Union to outstanding youth union officials, members, and young people nationwide. You are honored to be the only representative from Nghe An province to receive this award this year. Could you share a little about the "atmosphere" at the award ceremony?

- This year, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union selected 80 outstanding individuals to receive the October 15th Award from nominations from provinces and cities nationwide and member units and associations. The award recognizes cadres and members who have made positive contributions to the youth movement and effectively implemented campaigns of the Vietnam Youth Union in various provinces and cities across many fields such as: building new rural areas, poverty alleviation, economic development, etc. I was honored to receive the award for building youth clubs, teams, and groups with the activities of the Vinh City Dance Sport Club at yesterday's award ceremony (October 13th). This is truly a great joy and surprise for me personally.

Mr. Hoang Dang Bao and his students at a ballroom dancing competition. (Photo provided by the subject)

- It is known that the Dance Sport Club, which you head, is a popular place for people of all ages in Vinh City to learn ballroom dancing. The club's success must have come after overcoming many difficulties, as Vinh is considered a city that "lags behind" in the dance trend. Part of this may also be due to the prevailing views on dancing in Nghe An province, and the lack of space and environment in the area to develop this activity. Therefore, without a passionate and persistent pursuit, it would be very difficult to successfully build a ballroom dancing club model...

- Yes, it's a passion!... While studying ballroom dancing in Hanoi, I came up with the idea of ​​establishing a Dance Sport Club to bring together people with the same passion and interest. Now the club has many participants of different ages. I teach dance classes for children aged 5-15, primarily to improve their health, and also to identify those with potential for further training, organizing them to compete in national competitions, and forming the core of the ballroom dancing movement in Nghe An. However, I also set conditions: besides talent, the children must be well-behaved, academically successful, and obedient to their parents… Many children have participated in national competitions and won awards, which makes me very happy. But the important thing is that the Dance Sport Club has become a beneficial playground for many young people in Vinh City. In addition, through the Provincial Youth Union, I also teach ballroom dancing to young people in several districts and towns in the province.

- Young people today tend to form clubs, teams, associations, and groups based on their interests and professions. However, not many clubs can maintain long-term, effective operation like yours. Some think you've been proactive and kept up with the trend; others say your passion has been "lucky"...

- In my opinion, every club, team, association, or group, when established, must have a clear purpose and objectives, and a long-term strategy for its activities. In addition, the leader must be enthusiastic and know how to inspire those around them to truly ignite passion. However, the most important issue is funding – there must be a solution to secure long-term operating funds...

So how do we get the funding?...

- In Vinh City, I've seen many volunteer clubs, teams, and groups with very effective methods, such as collecting recyclable materials and selling milk in the mornings, thereby generating funds for charitable activities. Besides that, to make these models more organized and effective, the role of the Youth Union at all levels and the Youth Union organization is very important. Currently, the Provincial Youth Union organizes many activities to support and improve the quality of many clubs, associations, and groups through guidance and networking, enabling clubs to interact, meet, exchange experiences, and compete with each other; as well as providing additional knowledge in organization and activities. However, this work still needs further improvement because it hasn't yet fully connected with the needs and interests of all young people in the province.

Thank you for the conversation!

Thanh Duy