Othello Through Eyes of 3 Choreographers
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The Korea National Ballet Company is presenting Othello through three different perspectives in a single performance, each choreographed by former dancers James Jeon, Park Sang-chul and Baik Young-tae.
Following various crossover performances like Universal Ballet's ballet musical ``Shim Chung'' and the Seoul Ballet Theater (SBT)'s cartoon ballet ``Coppelia,'' the KNBC needed a breath of fresh air. Thus, the troupe came up with a performance with three sections that will feature different settings, atmospheres, dancers and concepts.
``It was an experiment. KNBC has put effort in trying new styles and concepts, and this is a part of that. Many troupes have followed our footsteps in experimenting and so we needed a totally different idea,'' Park told The Korea Times during an interview.
James Jeon, the resident choreographer of SBT, will start the first part, which will begin at the second chapter of Act 3 and continue to Act 5 of Othello. The audience will learn Othello's feelings toward Desdemona and also his change of heart as he becomes convinced by Iago's evil plot.
KNBC's Park will continue with his interpretation of the jealous, yet realistic Iago.
``If you think about it, Iago can be anybody. It's not because he was born an evil person, but I think circumstances made him change into a jealous and manipulative man. The key point of my part is to help the audience realize the real reason why Iago became so upset, '' said Park.
The last section will be choreographed by professor Baik and he will present the story of Othello. The love toward Desdemona, which started pure and sincere but gave way to jealousy, hate and finally death, will be presented through Baik's distinctive dance moves.
All three choreographers, Jeon, Park and Baik, danced under the KNBC and are now successful choreographers and dance instructors at SBT, KNBC, and Kangwon National University, respectively.
Another interesting feature is that the troupe mixed theatrical elements into ballet. Because it is divided into three different sections, Park said there were worries that the audience would not be able to follow the overall flow. Effective storytelling was in desperate need, so theatrical elements came to the rescue. Theater actors, and even some dancers, will present something that almost never happens at a ballet performance: spoken words. Before, after, and during the three performances, the actors will explain the overall theme of each act, helping the audience keep on track.
``This is the first time to offer theatrical lines in ballet. We want the audience to enjoy ballet, but understanding the whole performance is more important. By offering these features from plays, it will be easier to follow the overall storyline and dance movements,'' said Park.
Written in 1604 and originally published as ``Othello, the Moor of Venice,'' the story of Othello presents various themes; from love and betrayal to jealousy and even racism. Desdemona is the daughter of a senator who marries Othello, a black general, despite her father's disapproval. Meanwhile, Iago, a fellow soldier, fails to be promoted by Othello and later discovers that his general married Desdemona, his one and only love. The jealous and upset Iago determines revenge and the story ends with a tragic conclusion. Among Shakespeare's other tragedies like ``Hamlet'' and ``Macbeth,'' ``Othello'' is known to be the most realistic.
``We hope the viewers will have fun. Othello may be a sad story, but it is a very interesting one. You'll be able to realize the true essence and beauty of the tragic work of Shakespeare through our performance,'' said Park.
The performance will surely guide the audience down a path towards tragedy using both ballet and theater.
KNBC's ``Othello'' will be on stage July 11-13 at Seoul Arts Center. Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 60,000 won. Visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call (02) 587-6181. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.