By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Choreographer and dancer Ahn Eun-me has created another distinctive and innovative work, ``Princess Bari ― The Death,'' to celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of Myeongdong Theater in Seoul.
The Ahn Eun-me Company is famous for its experimental and avant-garde performances that fuse different genres, and the troupe is expected to bring a breath of fresh air to the dance scene.
Bari was originally a folktale about a young princess who journeys to hell to save her father. Desiring a son, the king casts out her out after birth. But when he becomes ill and finds out that she is the only one who can save his life, he calls to her, pleading for help.
The story takes a turn when Bari returns to her father, only to find that she is too late ― he has already passed away. In desperation, Bari performs a special revival dance and touched by her love and devotion, hell brings the king back to life.
``Princess Bari'' is comprised of two parts. The first, ``Princess Bari ― The Life,'' was staged in 2007, and the sequel will debut this year. The 2007 work depicted the story of Bari being kicked out of the kingdom and later searching for a cure to save the king, while the recent performance will show Bari journeying into hell to save the king. The storyline follows the folktale, yet Ahn surprised both the audience and dance critics with her outside-of-the-box ideas.
Ahn has continued her innovative ideas with the sequel: In the first series, Bari was kicked out for being a bisexual, but in the sequel, she is kicked out for being disabled.