April 3-6 at the National Theater Haeoreum Theater
A Mask Dance Without Masks
Choreographer Jeong Bo-gyeong and Director Yang Jeong-ung Present a New Standard of Beauty in 'Miin'
"I thought it might not be necessary to wear a mask in the mask dance. I have been mentioning this continuously since I first met the director last year, and we are in the process of completing the current (maskless) mask dance."
The National Dance Company, the resident troupe of the National Theater, will perform the new work 'Miin' from April 3 to 6 at the National Theater's Haeoreum Theater. The performance consists of 11 folk dances. It includes dances that come to mind when thinking of traditional dances, such as the fan dance, Ganggangsullae, and drum dance. Naturally, the mask dance is also included, but choreographer Jeong Bo-gyeong, who is in charge of the choreography, vowed at a press conference held on the 11th at the National Theater's Haeoreum Theater to present a mask dance without masks. This is because she judged that the skills of the National Dance Company dancers are so excellent that their movements alone can sufficiently express it.
Choreographer Jeong said, "The reason for not wearing masks is that I thought the energy emanating from the dancers' bodies interprets the mask dance fully, even without explicitly revealing something intuitively," adding, "I am confident that the National Dance Company dancers can clearly express everything we want to convey with their bodies." She added, "The National Dance Company is a group with very excellent dancers," and "As a choreographer, I feel very honored."
National Dance Company dancers are performing the 'Fan Dance' from the new work 'Beauty' at the National Theater Dance Company rehearsal room on the 11th. [Photo by National Dance Company]
Choreographer Jeong gained public recognition last year by appearing as a Korean dance coach on Mnet's 'Stage Fighter.' She is a young choreographer currently attracting attention in the domestic dance scene.
The direction of Miin is handled by Yang Jeong-ung, who is considered one of the busiest directors in Korea today. He directed the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and is actively working across various genres such as theater, film, and musicals. He said he has been a fan of the National Dance Company and felt honored to have the opportunity to work together for the first time. Director Yang emphasized, "Through the work Miin, I want to show Korean dance and Korean beauty."
To showcase the ultimate beauty, only 29 female dancers from the National Dance Company will take the stage without any male dancers.
Director Yang explained, "I thought about how to best show beauty through dance," adding, "With only the female dancers of the National Dance Company, I felt we could present not only the typical image of the beauty seen in Shin Yun-bok's Miindo but also a dynamic new Miindo suitable for the 21st century."
Choreographer Jeong also emphasized that "based on the roots of Korean dance and through a contemporary sensibility, this work questions how we should view our beauty," and stated that Miin will present new standards of beauty.
The creative team of the National Dance Company’s new work 'Miin' is taking a commemorative photo. From the left: stage designer Shin Hoseung, costume and object designer Seo Younghee, choreographer Jeong Bokyung, and composition and director Yang Jungwoong. Photo by National Dance Company
Miin, composed of two acts, begins with a stage that evokes the beauty of negative space reminiscent of Shin Yun-bok's 'Miindo.' Starting with a solo dance of a dancer seen in silhouette, 11 folk dances showcasing the diverse spectrum of female dancers unfold rapidly over 60 minutes, including Sanjo & Salpuri, fan dance, Ganggangsullae, drum dance, and mask dance. The 'Sword Dance,' contrasting the long sword appearing in Shin Yun-bok's genre painting 'Ssanggeom Daemu' and the short sword that produces splendid sounds while rotating 360 degrees, the pure beauty of female group dances such as 'Noddaribapgi' and 'Ganggangsullae,' the fan dance reinterpreted with powerful choreography, and the mask dance inspired by Korean carnival motifs?all interpreted with a contemporary sensibility?spread like a patchwork of Korean beauty. In 2025, 18 young education troupe members of the National Dance Company participate, playing the unseen underlying energy 'Heukja' in the work.
Director Yang Jeong-ung said, "I gathered 11 Korean folk dances that I usually like," adding, "I focused the direction on making it easier for general audiences to get closer to dance."
In addition to director Yang Jeong-ung and choreographer Jeong Bo-gyeong, renowned creative staff have joined the creative team of Miin. Costume and object design is by Seo Young-hee, who has been a stylish icon of K-fashion for over 30 years through her work at 'Vogue Korea.' Music is by Jang Young-gyu, leader of the alternative pop band Ilanchi, widely known for 'Beom Naeryeonda,' and who also composed music for the drama 'Jeongnyeon-i.' Stage design is by art director Shin Ho-seung, who has gained attention for his work on music videos for top K-pop artists such as NCT127, aespa, and IVE.
Park In-geon, director of the National Theater, emphasized, "We are striving to create Korea's most beautiful representative work with the best creative staff, including Korea's top directors and choreographers," and added, "We hope Miin will become a representative work of Korea."
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