October 14-15 at Mapo Art Center: Original Ballet 'VITA'

Korean Dance Critics Association 'Best Work Award' Winner
Contemporary Ballet Presented with Live Orchestra Performance of Vivaldi's Music

Major performance scenes of VITA. Photo by Mapo Art Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Mapo Cultural Foundation (CEO Song Jeyong) announced on the 28th that Wise Ballet Company will hold the performance 'VITA' at Mapo Art Center Art Hall Mac on October 14 and 15.

This performance is the second collaboration between choreographer Joo Jaeman, recognized in the New York dance scene, and Wise Ballet Company. Since its debut in October 2021, it has been recognized for its artistic value by winning the Korean Dance Critics Association's 'Best Work Award' as a creative ballet performance.

VITA, meaning 'life' in Latin, was reborn with a new meaning through the collaboration with choreographer Joo Jaeman, who draws inspiration from nature. The work, composed of four acts, captures the essential relationship between nature and humans, from the vitality of nature to environmental pollution and destruction, and finally to the harmony between humans and nature.

Dancers perform to the music of 17th-century composer and violinist Antonio Vivaldi against a backdrop that realizes the choreographer's imagination. Choreographer Joo Jaeman and Wise Ballet Company focus on human emotions toward nature, completing scenes reminiscent of a film through the dancers' movements.

This performance features live music by an 18-member orchestra playing Vivaldi's compositions and includes newly added choreography. Additionally, in Act 3, 'Hope in darkness,' a new solo choreography for a male dancer and a corps de ballet for female dancers have been added, further enhancing the performance structure.

Choreographer Joo Jae-man. Photo by Mapo Art Center

Choreographer Joo Jaeman won the 'Best Artist Award' at the 1996 International Dance Festival in Bagnoles, France, and is currently active in the United States. He began as a dancer with the world-renowned New York Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company and now serves as ballet master and resident choreographer.

Notably, the title 'resident choreographer' signifies 'a dancer representing the ballet company' and is an honorary title awarded to only about five dancers among many who have worked at Complexions. In June of this year, Joo was appointed as a ballet professor at The Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the top five dance-specialized universities in the U.S., further recognizing his abilities on the global dance stage.

Wise Ballet Company is a private ballet company that has been dedicated to expanding the base of creative ballet and enhancing artistic capabilities for 17 years since its founding in 2005. It has been recognized for its artistry by receiving the 49th Korea Culture and Arts Award (Presidential Award) in 2017 and the Arts Management Support Center Representative Award in 2018. Through its first collaborative work with choreographer Joo Jaeman in 2018, the company received praise such as 'It felt like watching a living, breathing watercolor painting,' proving the members' capabilities.

The performance will take place on October 14 and 15 at Mapo Art Center Art Hall Mac. Detailed information can be found on the Mapo Cultural Foundation website.