Sa-choom Goes Global
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Dance is known to be a universal form of art and there is one man who understood this and came up with an innovative performance that mesmerized fans at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Choi Kwang-il, the producer of ``Sa-choom,'' a non-verbal dance musical, said he was grateful for the support, and that he had no idea the show would come this far.
``Dec. 14 marks the 1,000th performance. I am very grateful for everyone who helped and believed in us along the way, and who knows? We may be able to reach the 5,000th performance,'' Choi told The Korea Times during an interview last Monday at the Sa-choom Theater.
Choi, a successful concert producer in the late 1990s, thought about making ``Sa-choom'' after watching other famous dance performance like ``Spirit of the Dance.''
``I thought, `would that kind of show work here in Korea too?' I worked on `Sa-choom' aiming for the long run. I wanted to portray our own style in it,'' he said.
Although Korea is considered one of the best b-boy nations in the world, there were not many people who appreciated the show in the beginning.
``(They) didn't think it would work. Some said the show was not appealing, while some said we were too futuristic. Technically speaking, we are not just b-boys and so I think we didn't translate as well as other performances, like the `Ballerina Who Loved a B-Boy,' `Jump' or `Nanta,' did,'' explained Choi.
The performers are, in fact, neither b-boys nor professional actors. Most of them studied dance, from jazz, to modern dance, and some who just loved to dance so much it became their profession.
``Sa-choom'' recently returned from the Edinburgh festival after receiving rave reviews from both fans and critics, but interestingly enough, the local scene was not that interested in the group's achievements.
``Performing at the festival was a great achievement for us. We received five stars from the Herald. We performed at the George Square Theater, and it was the first time for a new show to sellout in the theater's history. We came back, with our energy and hopes boosted, but nobody really cared when we got here. It was like `there was Nanta too, what makes you any different?''' said Choi.
Not a man who gives up, Choi held a festival of his own, the ``Again Edinburgh Fringe 2008'' and introduced ``Sa-choom'' once again, along with fellow local performances that caught the attention of overseas fans at the British festival.
``When (the audience) had the chance to feel the spirit and overall atmosphere of the festival, they finally started to appreciate `Sa-choom,''' he explained.
Being such an energetic, passionate and also relatable show, it was inevitable for overseas fans and productions to call out for the show, which was exactly what Choi was aiming for.
``We already have several performances that are well known abroad like `Nanta' and `Jump,' and it is indeed an honor to be compared with these works. While the other two shows are based on Korean elements, `Sa-choom' brought Western dance moves, recreated it with a hint of Korean, and now is being sent to the West again,'' said Choi.
Starting from next year, ``Sa-choom'' will be performed by a Korean and Japanese cast. Instead of just merely becoming a new show from Asia, Sa-choom will meet fans the way they are presented here and festivals, in Japan, Moscow and soon, other European countries as well, said Choi.
When asked what made ``Sa-choom'' so special, Choi nodded and said that it was because the show was straightforward.
``The plot is simple and transparent and the performers are very close, literally, to the audience and relatable. It's more like watching a life story where the main character continuously challenges himself. It makes you want to stand up and dance too, which is really a part of the show where the characters make the audience stand up and move,'' he said.
``We were told by the foreign press that a fresh, energetic show has started already in the East. Having said that, we hope everyone will come and approve our fun and passionate experiment,'' said Choi.