Ballerina Kim Joo-won stars in traditional dance 'Sinsi'

Kim Joo-won, right, and Yoon Jeon-il rehearse at a studio on Oct. 10, ahead of the performance of “Sinsi” which will take place on Oct. 27. / Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

By Yun Suh-young

Traditional dance performance "Sinsi" set for next week stars world famous ballerina Kim Joo-won as the lead female dancer.

The performance will be on Oct. 27 and 28 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and Kim's performance will take place on Oct. 27.

“Sinsi” is directed by veteran choreographer Kook Soo-ho who also took the helm of last year's performance when the dance was first introduced.

The story is centered on the birth myth of Korea which begins with Hwanwoong, the son of "Hwanin" or God, who descended from Mount Taebaek to establish the city of Sinsi, the birthplace of the first country state.

Hwanwoong marries a woman who had been turned into a human from a bear, and fathers a child called Dangun Wanggeom who establishes Gojoseon, the first nation state of Korea. This ancient kingdom (BC 2333), also called Dangun Joseon, is known to have been established on Oct. 3 which is celebrated as a national holiday ever since. The day is called "Gaechonjeol" which means "The Opening of Heaven."

The dance, based on this myth, tells the story of the peaceful establishment of a nation and co-existence after a series of wars between various different tribes.

"The story of Sinsi may seem old and boring because it's a traditional story, but we exist now because of this history. Also, there's definitely a message to take away in today's time from this story which is of the humanitarian spirit and co-existence," said choreographer Kook, during a press conference last week.

"The dance was created last year in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Korea. I took the helm last year, but this year I'm planning to ride on the upturn and improve. I added 20 more chorus members this year," he said.

The cast will be divided into two teams, the celebrity dancers team and the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theater team to create synergy and competition between the two groups and showcase different styles of dance.

The first day will feature a star-studded cast, including ballerina Kim Joo-won, former lead dancer of the National Theater of Korea Lee Jeong-yun, and ballerino Yoon Jeon-il who gained popularity through his appearance on a TV dance survival competition program, M-net's "Dancing 9."

Members of the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theater will perform on Oct. 28, including lead dancer Kim Kyung-ae with Shin Dong-yeop and Choi Tae-hyun.

The performance involves 80 performers -- 60 dancers and 20 musical actors and actresses -- and will be performed on the largest stage in Korea. The entire 40-meter stage from the rear part to the front orchestra pit will be used, maximizing the spectacle.

Ballerina Kim Joo-won will be merging the worlds of ballet and traditional dance in this performance. This is her third traditional performance and third collaboration with choreographer Kook.

"Ballet, a Western dance, and traditional Korean dance share a similar spirit. It was a great learning experience for me to merge the two genres," said Kim.

Her body movements and emotions trained from her previous appearances in “Swan Lake” and “Giselle” will be used to their best for this traditional performance, Kook said.

The highlight scene of the work is where Hwanwoong appears with his 3,000 troops from the sky, according to Kook.

"The scene where Hwanwoong descends from the sky is interpreted in his appearance from the back of the stage to the front which is 40 meters. This magnificent scene will be breathtaking and audiences will feel an emotion they have never felt before. That scene basically sums up the essence of this performance," Kook said.