Go Crazy for Dance This Fall with SIDance
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Seoul is about to turn into a dance-crazed city, as the 10th annual Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance) kicks off Oct. 4.
The 24-day event will feature performances from 17 foreign and 41 Korean companies, showing different styles of dance from traditional to flamenco to contemporary ballet.
Organized by the CID-UNESCO Korea (International Dance Council), SIDance offers performances that are expected to satisfy the tastes of dance lovers and educate those who don't know much about dance. The festival will also highlight the international exchanges between Korean and foreign dance troupes.
Performances will be held at the National Theater of Korea, Seoul Art Center, Hoam Art Hall, Doosan Art Center, as well as various galleries, cafes, and even at the airport.
Italy's Compagnia Aterballetto will bring contemporary ballet to audiences, with its presentation of ``Omaggio a Bach'' and ``Rossini Cards'' Oct. 4 at the National Theater of Korea.
SIDance Revisited, a gala show featuring 11 top Korean choreographers who have been with SIDance since the beginning, will be held Oct. 6-7 and Oct. 10 at the Hoam Art Hall. The show takes the audience through the 10-year history of SIDance.
South African choreographer Vincent Mantsoe will present “Mobu” and “Phokwane” at the Hoam Art Hall on Oct. 20.
On Oct. 11, the Doosan Art Center will open with a solo performance by renowned Finnish choreographer Tommi Kitti and the premiere of the ``Asia-Central America Dance Exchange,'' a co-production of young choreographers from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. The young choreographers have been working together in Seoul for six months to create a unique multi-cultural work.
Kopergietery, a Belgian dance troupe known for their kid-friendly productions, will delight young audiences with ``Out in the Wood.'' The story is about a boy, who finds himself alone, and his scary journey into the woods to find his parents. The performances are Oct. 13 and 14 at Space 111, Doosan Art Center.
The passion of flamenco will be lit with the Spanish troupe Compania de Danza Aida Gomez's staging of ``Carmen'' at the Hoam Art Hall Oct. 17-18. Gomez, the youngest ever to be nominated as artistic director of the Spanish National Ballet, will show the beauty and energy of the gypsy in ``Carmen.''
Belgian dance troupe Kopergietery will delight young audiences with “Out in the Woods” on Oct. 13 and 14 at Space 111, Doosan Art Center.
Acclaimed South African choreographer Vincent Mantsoe will show the spirit of Africa with his ``Mobu'' and ``Phokwane'' at the Hoam Art Hall on Oct. 20. ``Phokwane,'' is Mantsoe's tribute to his parents for their support, and the title itself is a combination of his parents' names Phoko and Nkwane.
Audiences can experience European contemporary dance with the British dance troupe Russell Maliphant Company Oct. 26-27 at Seoul Arts Center. British choreographer Maliphant's pieces have enchanted critics and audiences. The company will perform his landmark works ``Flux'' and ``Push,'' as well as his new collaboration with Isaac Julien ``Small Boots.''
Hip-hop dance is elevated from entertainment to contemporary dance art with Across Hiphop's showcase of the best of Korean hip-hop at the Towol Theater, Seoul Arts Center Oct. 24. Three choreographers will show their works that integrate hip-hop with contemporary dance.
Compania de Danza Aida Gomez will stage “Carmen” at the Hoam Art Hall on Oct.17-18.
SIDance is also working to bring dance to the people, by providing free performances on the streets, at parks and rail stations. Under the theme ``Dancing City,'' SIDance is presenting a series of contemporary Korean dances by young artists as its ``gift for the citizens.''
The Kim Young-hee Mut Dance group will perform at 7 p.m., Oct. 5 at the Sinchon Migliore Plaza near Ewha Womans University. The Crayon Dance Project will perform at Seoul Station, 4 p.m. Oct. 17. Gimpo Domestic Airport will be the venue for Lee Dae-gun and Kim Nam-jin's performance at 2 p.m. Oct. 19.
Aside from the main events, there is a SIDance Film retrospective from Oct. 9-19 at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center. It will feature videos of performances from SIDance festivals in the last 10 years.
World-renowned choreographers Maliphant, Mantsoe, Compagnia Aterballeto's Mauro Bigonzetti, Congo's Cie Li-Sangha and Senegal's Cie 1er Temps will also conduct various choreography workshops.
For more details about the performance schedules, visit, www.sidance.org or call (02) 3216-1185.