4 dance performances questioning modern lifestyles
Dance performance “Quiet Cycle” by Altimeets Courtesy of ARKO
By Park Ji-won
The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) presents four dance performances reflecting modern lifestyles as part of ARKO Selection, a program designed to finance noteworthy performing arts productions.
In 2020, 21 shows ― plays, dance performances, traditional performing arts, musicals and operas ― were chosen for ARKO Selection.
“Based on each value and philosophy, the four works effectively ignite discussions about contemporary society, especially through symbolic objects,” ARKO said in press release.
The performances will be presented this month at ARKO Arts Theater in Seoul's Daehangno theater district. Naver TV will stream those performances.
“Quiet Cycle” by Altimeets, which will be seen on Saturday and Sunday at ARKO Arts Theater and on Naver TV on Saturday, tells the story of a man living as if he has infinite life in a wheel of life and death by introducing Buddhist concepts. Drawing performances, videos and live performances are used to express the stages of life.
Choreographer Jun Sung-jae, who is also vice choreographer for Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater, said during a recent online press conference that “My family members are Buddhists, so I have been interested in reincarnation since I was young. I adopted the concept of Jinyeo, or Tathata, which means 'one who has thus come' or 'one who has thus gone' … Many would think we, human beings, focus on being or existence itself, but I thought that people nowadays focus on 'having' or 'doing' … We live as if we are living in an indefinite and fierce life, but that's not the case. I think life looks very quiet if you step aside to look at it.”
Dance performance “Why did you eat apple?” by YJK Dance Project Courtesy of ARKO
“Why did you eat apple?” by YJK Dance Project will be performed at ARKO Arts Theater from Feb. 19 to 21 and on Naver TV on Feb 20. It uses various materials and technologies to talk about three key moments of human history by using the symbolic object of an apple, or the forbidden fruit.
“Adam and Eve's apple, Newton's apple that enlightened humanity to universal gravitation and Apple's smartphone … Amid the rapid development of civilization, I am questioning whether we are really happy after eating the sweet apples. We are adapting to internet algorithms which may control thoughts and happiness and making us to lose ourselves,” choreographer Kim Yoon-jung said.
Dance performance “A Double Tongue” by Dark Circles Contemporary Dance Courtesy of ARKO
“A Double Tongue” by Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, which will be staged at ARKO Arts Theater from Feb. 19 to 21 and on Naver TV on Feb. 21, show modern people losing themselves after becoming addicted to the destructiveness of modern life which is on display.
“The performance shows the negative results of people being fake in order to get ahead in modern society,” choreographer Cho Hyun-sang said.
Dance performance “Stone” by Humanstance Courtesy of ARKO
“Stone” by Humanstance, which will be staged at ARKO Arts Theater from Feb. 27 to 28 and on Naver TV on Feb. 28, is to express the relationship between nature and humanity.
“Stones and earth are what humans have coexisted with for the longest time. Although we don't actually show stones on the stage, we made choreography inspired by the process of the birth of stones. I considered humans as stones and included various emotions in there. I hope audiences think about what kind of existence we are experiencing through stones, which are the products of nature,” choreographer Cho Jae-hyuk said.