Dance Company Celebrates Hangeul
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Oct. 9 marks the 562nd Hangeul Day, or Korean alphabet day. To celebrate the day, the Mulmil Dance Company is presenting a special performance about the birth of one of the most scientific alphabets in the world.
The troupe, led by choreographer and artistic director Lee Sook-jae, has come up with yet another interesting event, ``Hangeul Dance 2350'' which is inspired by the 562-year-old writing system.
``Hallyu (the Korean wave) is popular overseas, but there isn't much for locals to appreciate our own culture. So we wanted to read the various expressions hangeul holds in a more young and dynamic way through dance,'' said an organizer. The ``2350'' in the title is the number of characters that can be made with hangeul syllables.
With 3D visual effects and pop music, the company managed to portray a form of language through colorful dance moves.
The first act, ``For Whom is Hangeul For?'' will offer the audience a chance to appreciate the beauty and rediscover the importance of the alphabet in a society where English and Internet jargon are redolent.
The second, ``Sin Yong Bi A Chon Ga 2008,'' will feature the story of a magician. Walking his way through the forests of neon billboards written in foreign languages, the magician discovers the lack of communication among Seoul citizens. The magician helps people realize that the key to communication is in fact within themselves, and the dance goes on as he shares the spirit of hangeul: ``Cheon,'' literally meaning the sky, ``Ji,'' the earth and ``In,'' human.
The final scene of the second act will present hangeul with a futuristic touch, complete with special effects, videos and other modern techniques. Considering that the alphabet was based on the yin and yang of the taegeuk spirit, the dances will express the energy of the earth (the yin) and sky (the yang).
The Milmul Modern Dance Company was launched in 1984 and has been one of the foremost troupes that strive to bring dance and Korean traditional art together. Every year, the group comes up with a new repertoire based on the Korean alphabet and also holds performances where they present words and letters with their bodies.
The Hangeul Dance 2350 will take place from Oct. 14 to 15 at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, visit www.milmul.com (English and Korean) or call (02) 578-6810.