'Contemporary dance fun, enjoyable'

Kang Hye-ryeon, vice president of the Contemporary Dance Association of Korea

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Dancers and choreographers are now seeking ways to make contemporary dance enjoyable to the general public after 25-year-old dancer Han Sun-chun stole female fans’ hearts last year.

Following his fantastic performances on cable television Mnet’s “Dance 9” program, the gifted dancer instantly rose to stardom, complete with his own fan club.

On Wednesday, Kang Hye-ryeon, vice president of the Contemporary Dance Association of Korea, said that the general public’s increasing interest in contemporary dance is an encouraging sign to professional dancers.

Kang, also a professor at Kyonggi University in Seoul, noted that recent years saw a noticeable trend that young females are shifting their attention to contemporary dance or ballet. She added this is a reflection of competitive Korean dancers.

For many years, she said, those involved in contemporary dance have made numerous efforts to help the general public feel that dance is something they can enjoy.

Now, Kang said, their endeavor is making progress.

“Through the International Modern Dance Festival (MODAFE), we have striven to communicate with the general public through dance. We have talked directly with citizens through a question-and-answer session, and sent our messages through outdoor dance performances or photo exhibitions which took place on the sidelines of the MODAFE festivals,” she told The Korea Times.

“Fans said they felt closer to dancers and choreographers after exchanging their ideas with the performers. It is regrettable that we cannot have such an interactive session with fans as all outdoor events were cancelled due to the tragic sinking of the passenger ferry Sewol.”

MODAFE is a 33-year-old annual dance festival featuring Korean and international dance teams’ performances. This year, the festival will be opening on Friday under the theme of “Arouse Your Instinct with Dance” and continue until May 31 at the Korea Performing Art Center in Seoul.

Although contemporary dance drew a lot more attention in recent years, Kang said that many professional dancers are still struggling for recognition.

“The vast majority of dancers are dealing with the harsh economic reality as living as a full-time dancer here in Korea is really challenging. That’s why so many professional dancers have part-time teaching jobs. Their side jobs distract them from being fully focused on their day jobs, which is regrettable.”

Kang argued that contemporary dance has strong potential to be the next K-culture export, just as K-pop stars captured global audiences.

To help contemporary dancers go global, the professor stressed that strong governmental support for a certain period of time is necessary.

“The British government’s policy designed for professional dancers can be a model for the Korean government to consider helping professional dancers. I understand that Britain selects promising dancers and dance teams and provides them with generous financial support for five years. Those chosen dancers or teams can fully focus on their projects without financial worries and their competitiveness is increasing as a result,” she said.

“The British government also helps dancers hire personal staff or get counseling services and gives information about festivals or programs they can participate in.”

Kang suggested that the Korean government should also consider providing professional dancers with more opportunities to perform in a variety of events both at home and abroad.

“I think that Korean embassies overseas or the association of ethnic Koreans or corporate donors can invite professional dancers to diverse cultural events so that they can perform and evaluate their skills.”

Kang expressed hope that the 33th MODAFE can be a milestone event to demonstrate the people’s deep interest in contemporary dance.

“You can meet globally-renowned dance troupes and choreographers through the festival, and especially the energetic Israeli teams, who are to do the opening and closing performances, will inspire Korean fans. You can also experience creative, fresh performances to be done by both young and experienced dancers and international groups.”