Arts & Theater

International Ballet Stars to Visit Korea for Festival

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter A number of prominent dancers from all over the world will appear at the 2008 World Ballet Star Festival in Seoul. The annual festival, organized by the World Dance Center, is in its fifth year. The Star Festival, scheduled June 5-6 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, is a rare event where the finest dancers from major dance theaters appear together at the same time. This year many world-renowned male dancer ― including Manuel Legris of the Paris Opera Ballet, Leonid Sarafanov of the Kirov Ballet, Daniil Simkin of the Vienna State Opera Ballet and Dmitry Belogolovtsev of the Bolshoi Ballet ― will show off their expertise to Korean audiences. Instead of performing an entire work, the festival will offer the highlights of famous masterpieces, including ``Swan Lake'' and ``Don Quixote.'' The 44-year-old Legris is considered the ``pride of French Ballet'' and has won numerous prizes. He set the record of becoming the youngest performer of the Etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet at the age of 22. He will perform in ``Manon'' and ``N

Canadian Circus Makes Asian Premier in Seoul

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The circus has evolved from its earlier traditional form and now combines acrobats, animals and clowns to create spectacular performances. Now a style of circus known as cirque nouveau, or contemporary circus, combines many different art forms such as trapeze, juggling and acting, to convey a story or theme. Cirque Eloize, a Canada-based cirque nouveau troupe, is making its way to Korea to present its newest performance, ``Nebbia.'' The circus will premiere in Seoul for the first time in Asia this summer after debuting in Switzerland in December last year with rave reviews and a standing ovation from the audience. Making the best use of the human body, ``Nebbia'' which means fog in Italian, intertwines, in an unusual, surreal and tragicomic way, the means of expression used in circus shows with those used in high theatrical art. ``Nebbia'' presented by Cirque Eloize and co-produced by Credia, a local performance organizer, is the third part of their Sky Trilogy ― Nomade, Rain and Nebbia ― directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca. Credia put ``Rai

Jewelry Artist Kim Holds Exhibit

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Seoul has recently seen world-famous jewelry houses like Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany & Co. show off their stunning jewelry designs in exhibitions this year. A growing number of Korean artists are also dabbling in jewelry art and design. Kim Jung-ji, an artist working in both Korea and the United Kingdom, is holding her first solo jewelry exhibition ``Unmoulded'' at the Gana Art Space in Insa-dong, Seoul. ``To me, jewelry is something between sculpture and garment. My pieces are functional as they are intended for bodily ornament, yet they may also be seen as sculptural pieces in which special relations between mass and void or linear and solid are exactingly constructed,'' she said, in the exhibition catalogue. The exhibit features Kim's innovative brooches, necklaces, rings and bracelets made of sterling silver and gold. Her intricately woven and textured pieces appear to be inspired by nature. Kim said she likes to use materials and present them in ``unexpected ways while retaining all their beauty, and achieving comfor

Clubs, Art Exhibitions & Sports Games

Clubs Club Garden Apgujeong-dong Club Garden is an electronica hotspot, with the big draw being its line-up of guest DJs such as Laurent Garnier, Mondo Grosso, Afrika Bambatta and Goldie. Near Galleria Department Store on the so-called Rodeo Street in southern Seoul. Call (02) 518-5115 or clubgarden.co.kr. Club Evans Hongdae or Hongik University Area This club, located near Hongik University, is great for intimate live performances. The line-up of performers is generally top-notch and the acoustics are good. Located near exit 1 on Sangsu Station on subway line 6 or exit 6 on Hongdae Station on subway line 2. Call (02) 337-8361 or www.clubevans.com. Club Caliente Itaewon The patrons are so diverse, DJ Josh sometimes has a hard job appealing to everyone. But he keeps the dance floor going, playing a variety of standbys and new Latin music. The song selection is what keeps people coming back. Located near exit 4 of Itaewon Station subway line 6. Call (011) 9094 8484 Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the DJ

Concerts, Museums & Performances

Classical Concerts 2008 High 1 Cinema Concert COEX Auditorium May 16 Under the baton of conductor Kim Bong-mee, the High 1 Orchestra will perform famous soundtracks from various films, including ``The Sound of Music'' (1965), ``Legends of the Fall'' (1994) and the Korean film ``Radio Star'' (2006). Korean traditional singer Oh Jung-hae and baritone Kim Dong-kyu will join the orchestra. Tickets cost from 50,000 won to 100,000 won. Visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call (02) 749- 1300. Located near exit 5 and 6 of Samseong Station on subway line 2. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra Sejong Center for the Performing Arts June 25 Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra will visit Seoul for the first time. Conducted by the young and passionate Yannick Nezet-Seguin of Canada, the orchestra will also perform with Chinese pianist Yundi Li. Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 130,000 won. For more visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call 1588-7890. Located near exit 8 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. The Philadelphia Orchestra Sejon

Andrea Bocelli live in Seoul

Mungyeong Tea Bowl Festival Opens May 3

By Kim Ji-soo Staff Reporter A 10 day festival featuring Korean's traditional teal bowls will be held in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, May 3-12. While Icheon in Gyeonggi Province is more popular for ceramics and pottery, Mungyeong has long been considered central to traditional ceramic making. Boasting a 500-year history in ceramics making and the tea bowls in particular, the region is home to 23 traditional kilns. The annual festival, which has grown as one of the representative festivals in North Gyeongsang Province, is in its 10th year. For this year's festival, ceramic artists from 18 nations will take part in the festival, organizers said. ``Mungyeong is known for center of traditional ceramics making. There are seven ceramic masters in the nation and three are in Mungyeong,'' said Shing Hyun-kook, the mayor of the city. ``I don't know how they do it elsewhere, but we do it traditionally,'' said Kim Jung-ok, head of the organization committee for the festival with much pride. He was speaking in a conference held in downtown Seoul Wednesday. K

Festival Celebrates Buddhas Birthday

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter May is known as ``family month,'' with various events and festivals being held everywhere. Along with the excitement, how about joining the ``Lotus Lantern Festival?'' Celebrate the coming of Buddha, which is held annually on the eight day of the fourth lunar month and falls on May 12th this year. The Korea Times met Ven. Hye Kyeong, the general director of the Celebration Committee for Buddha's Birthday Festival at Jogyesa Temple and talked about his plans for one of Asia's largest Buddhist festivals. ``We are busy putting the finishing touches to the festival, but I believe it will be our best one ever,'' he said. Lanterns have already been lit ahead of the official festival that will be held May2-4. They will continue to be lit through May 12. The streets around City Hall will be decorated with millions of lanterns which will light up the area to celebrate the coming of Buddha. ``Visit Bongeunsa Temple, where you can admire beautiful lanterns,'' he said. At the lantern exhibition visitors will be able to enjoy the unique lanterns

Shin Jae-suong to Hold Exhibition on Traces in Seoul

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Artist Shin Jae-suong is holding his art exhibition ``Traces'' at Yi Gallery, Insa-dong, Seoul, giving attention to things often not noticed. There will be 27 paintings and sketches that mostly portray objects and scenes that many people tend to overlook, like old houses and deserted areas. Many paintings depict winter as well. ``I like winter. Everything that is complicated is hidden beneath snow. The only things you can see are tree branches and the clean, white snow,'' the 70-year-old artist told The Korea Times. Although there are limits and difficulties in finding these places portrayed in his art, the painter prefers moving from place to place to discover the perfect location. ``I don't believe in photographs when I paint or sketch. I prefer examining the location myself,'' said the artist, adding that he visited Paris to find the subject matter a few months ago. The artwork he finished in Paris will also be displayed at the exhibition. This is first exhibition in 15 years for the artist, so it will surely be an em

Art of Cartier Sparkles in Seoul

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Complimenting ongoing exhibitions of jewelry houses like Tiffany & Co., another Paris-based jewelry house Cartier is opening its `` The Art of Cartier'' exhibit today at the National Museum of Art in Deoksugung, downtown Seoul. The exhibit will feature 267 pieces of jewelry and more than 70 drawings, photos and posters that date back to the 1860s. ``This exhibition will show the evolution, style and inspiration of Cartier. Through all the periods and women who admired him, you can recognize his generation and strong distinctive style,'' said Pierre Rainero, the Cartier Heritage director, at a press conference in Seoul Monday. It was in 1847 that Louis-Francois Cartier took over a jewelry workshop at age 29 in Paris and expanded it into one of the world's finest and most renowned jewelry companies, admired by royal families, celebrities and the public. The exhibition is divided into four sections. ``The Birth of Style'' features pieces that were made before Cartier's distinct style was formed. This section will introduce the use of plati