Cheoyongmu Dance Wearing Hip-Hop Pants with Jeogori... Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company 'A-Plus'

December 15-17, Sejong Center S Theater
Choreographed by the members themselves... A project emphasizing experimental nature
A bold and experimental stage combining traditional dance with other art genres

Dancers wearing jeogori and hip-hop pants will present experimental and groundbreaking dance performances such as Cheoyongmu on stage.

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced on the 29th that the Seoul City Dance Company Choreographer Project 'A Plus' will be performed at S Theater from December 15 to 17. This project stage showcases experimental works choreographed directly by members of the Seoul City Dance Company.
[Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts]

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced on the 29th that the Seoul City Dance Company choreographer project 'A-Plus' will be performed at S Theater from December 15 to 17. This project, showcasing experimental works choreographed directly by members of the Seoul City Dance Company, combines traditional dance with other art genres to present a bold and experimental stage, upgrading the popular 'The Topping' that has steadily gained popularity over the past eight years.

The Seoul City Dance Company, which has consistently introduced contemporary works, utilizes the advantages of the black box theater S Theater to realize 'A-Plus' in a more detailed and free manner. Two choreographers selected through a member recruitment process, principal dancer Park Sujeong and associate principal dancer Hong Yeonji, will stage 'Starry bomb' and 'cir-cle,' respectively.

Park Sujeong focused on the origins and purity of Korean dance. Just as the dances improvised by ancestors became traditional dances, she predicts that the pure gestures adored by the younger generation today will become the traditional dances of tomorrow. Park Sujeong explained, "I wanted to show a dance that unites men and women, young and old, beyond past and present, generations, and classes," adding, "There will be fun in finding traditional dance movements appearing in the work."

Park Sujeong's work blends modern dance with traditional dances such as Jinju geommu, mudang dance, Dongnae hakchum, and Ganggangsullae. The direction is by Song Seol, a member of the National Dance Company and a former trainee, and the music is by Seok Muhyeon, Korea's first composer of samulnori electronic dance music (EDM). Younggi, who recently transformed from a comedian to a trot singer, makes a special appearance, delivering lively dance and explosive energy.

Hong Yeonji will perform on a stage reinterpreting Cheoyongmu. Cheoyongmu, a court dance designated as National Intangible Cultural Property No. 39, is performed to drive away evil spirits and pray for peace. Hong Yeonji expresses the figures of 'Cheoyong' and 'Yeoksin' as the souls existing within the human inner self. The yin-yang and five elements philosophy of Cheoyongmu and the structure of Obangjakdaemu, which exchange, separate, and endlessly revolve, are visualized as the performance's theme, cir-cle.

Street dancer Kim Seonyeop's choreography will complete a modern Cheoyongmu. Dancers wearing jeogori and hip-hop pants will perform together on stage, presenting something new. The direction is by Kang Hwanggyu (a member of the Seoul City Dance Company), who directed 'Dancing Scarecrow' and others, and the music is by Jo Chungho, who has won dance music awards at numerous dance festivals including the Seoul Dance Festival, delivering a groundbreaking stage.