Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
Seoul International Dance Festival to be held
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By Park Ji-won
Poster for SIDance2021 / Courtesy of SIDance
By Park Ji-won
The 24th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance2021), hosted by Seoul Section of the UNESCO International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), will be held from Oct. 16 to Nov. 14 at various locations in Seoul and through online platforms.
This year's festival will focus on presenting dance performances from Benelux countries ― Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg ― as well as works from non-metropolitan areas. The festival features 84 works from 83 dance companies representing 14 countries, encompassing Europe, Asia, Middle East, and North America. They will be held at various locations in Seoul, such as Seoul Arts Center, ARKO Art Center and Oil Tank Culture Park as well as online platforms which will be announced. The works and countries as well as online platforms may be added according to the organizer.
Renowned Belgian choreographer, Thi-Mai Nguyen, will be visiting Seoul to present her solo work, “ETNA,” which is a show of her interpretation of life of an ageless homeless person strolling around cities with a tape recorder. The show will be held at Oil Tank Culture Park from Oct. 23 to 24. Apart from her performances, shows from overseas will be presented through online platform.
The festival will present a wide array of performances for Seoul residents who may not have many opportunities to see dance troupes based outside of the capital. Daegu City Dance Company, Gyeonggido Dance Company, Cheongju City Dance Company and individual choreographers active in regions such as Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Daejeon and Daegu will also take part in the festival.
A diversified portfolio of performances is being offered this year. In Dance Eat Song, dancers create choreographies according to K-pop songs, while SIDance Tomorrow lets new dancers come up with new routines.
SIDance was established in 1998 during the 13th International Dance Council World Congress in Seoul and has been involved in the largest international dance festivals held here every year. Since 2018, SIDance has been expanding its themes to include social issues, such as refugees and violence to inspire people through dance performances. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it held online performances for the first time.