'Two Worlds, One Dance' The 44th Seoul Dance Festival Opens

Various Dance Performances Until the 26th

The 44th Seoul Dance Festival opened on the 10th and will present various performances at the Arko Arts Theater in Daehangno, Seoul, until the 26th.

At the Seoul Dance Festival, audiences can experience dance performances in various genres such as ballet, Korean traditional dance, and contemporary dance. It began in 1979 as the Korea Dance Festival and is hosted by the Korea Dance Association and organized by the Seoul Dance Festival Organizing Committee. This year's festival features works reflecting contemporary times under the theme "Two Worlds, One Dance."

The opening ceremony was attended by prominent figures from Seoul city and the cultural and arts sectors, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Chairman Lee Beom-heon of the Korea Federation of Arts and Culture Organizations, Director Park In-geon of the National Theater, President Ahn Ho-sang of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, CEO Lee Chang-gi of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, as well as dance community figures such as Cho Heung-dong (Korea Arts Academy) and Chae Sang-mook (Holder of National Intangible Cultural Heritage).

Mayor Oh Se-hoon mentioned the Seoul Dance Creation Center (Seoul Arts Education Center), a specialized dance arts space scheduled to open next year in Eunpyeong-gu, and the establishment of the Seoul City Ballet. He pledged to work towards expanding cultural enjoyment among Seoul citizens and creating an artistic ecosystem where dancers can fully focus on creative activities. He also promised to further support future generations of students and artists through support policies such as "Performance Spring Day" and the "Seoul Youth Culture Pass."

Chairman Cho Nam-gyu stated that he will do his best to make the Seoul Dance Festival a true festival that many Seoul citizens want to watch, participate in, and enjoy together.

Broadcaster Park Myung-soo was appointed as the promotional ambassador for the 44th Seoul Dance Festival.

Four teams will participate in the competition section starting on the 17th: Sunheon Dance Company (choreographer Cha Soo-jung), Ballet Blanc (Baek Yeon), The Park Dance (Park Geun-tae), and Ro Dance Project (Noh Jeong-sik). The grand prize winner will be announced at the closing ceremony on the 26th and will receive a prize of 30 million KRW.

To discover experimental dance works and emerging choreographers, 14 choreographers were selected last year for the newly established "Seoul Dance Lab." They will present their creative works at the Arko Arts Theater Small Theater on the 21st and 23rd. The best choreographer will receive a prize of 10 million KRW.