Ahn shares vision for modern dance
The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company artistic director Ahn Ae-soon. / Courtesy of KNCDC
By Kwon Ji-youn
The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC) announced Wednesday its blueprints for this year’s program and stressed that it will further strive to familiarize more audiences with contemporary dance.
During a press conference at the Korea Press Center, artistic director Ahn Ae-soon said this season’s theme — “Under, Between, Beyond” — will move from the past into the present and future.
“If last year focused on the history of contemporary dance, this year will be about time and space,” she said. “To suggest a future, you need to look at the present from different perspectives — from underneath, from afar, from beyond.”
The company’s program this year will feature six new performances, two repertoire programs and one original production. It will also include tours of Italy and Germany.
“It takes more than one — almost two years — to set up performances overseas,” Ahn said. “Last year, we focused on producing our work and setting up distribution channels, and it is now that such effort is bearing fruit.”
Ahn pointed out that the program only includes two major performances abroad because Korea lacks the information and connections needed to put such projects through.
“And most are just not interested in contemporary dance, which makes it all the more difficult to find authoritative festivals and competitions that we can take part in,” Ahn said. “The response we receive at the few overseas performances that we have secured will be crucial in landing new deals.”
This is why familiarizing Koreans with the appeal of contemporary dance is so important, according to Ahn.
“When I travel around the country to perform or give lectures, I’m always surprised to see that only one or two of the 50 people sitting in have seen a contemporary dance performance,” Ahn said. “Not only do they lack the experience, they are often at a loss when trying to understand the art.”
Consequently, the dance troupe holds three showcases each time it brings a performance to the stage, at which audiences are free to interact with the dancers and chat with the choreographers.
The season’s first performance will be staged by admired guest choreographers Yoon Pu-reum and Lim Jee-ae. The acts, titled “17cm” and “See You Yesterday,” will seek to examine the boundaries and distance that exist among human beings, and question “meaning.”
A choreography lab will take place from June through September, and a contest will take place in July. A number of performances will collaborate with artists of different genres, including film directors.
Director Ahn’s “Under/Off Ground” KNCDC Residency Collaboration Project is set for Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.
Ahn stressed that the program includes a rendition of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s “The Little Prince” to narrow the gap between contemporary dance and the general public.
“It’s our attempt at an interaction with our audiences,” Ahn said.
The troupe will round the year out with a return of its esteemed “11 Minutes,” which premiered in 2013. “11 Minutes” is one of the company’s most attended performances and touches on prejudice, relationships and shame
“We will also be extending our outdoors performances from last year,” Ahn said. “Why must contemporary dance be staged at a theater? We staged a contemporary version of ‘Let it Go’ in the Seoul Arts Center square. It’s part of our community project, through which the audience is welcome to learn contemporary dance and join us in performances.”