Professor Hong Sunmi Stages "Wanderers" at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival
Showcasing Sahmyook University's Artistic Excellence and Global Competitiveness
Expanding International Cooperation with Leading European Universities
Professor Hong Sunmi from the Department of Integrated Arts at Sahmyook University was officially invited as a director to the 32nd Sibiu International Theatre Festival, a world-renowned performing arts festival, where she staged the contemporary dance play "Wanderers."
The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, held annually in Sibiu, Romania, is recognized as one of the three major theatre festivals in Europe, alongside the Avignon Festival in France and the Edinburgh Festival in the United Kingdom. It is a large-scale event that attracts global attention from the performing arts community. This year, the festival took place over ten days from June 20 to June 29, featuring more than 5,000 artists from 82 countries and presenting a total of over 830 performance programs.
"Wanderers," directed by Professor Hong, is a contemporary dance play that explores the uncertainty of life and the feeling of being lost, artistically expressing the fundamental confusion inherent in human existence and the act of prayer.
Centered on the message, "No human is given a perfect map. Every land you step on in confusion is your rightful path," the work reinterprets, with a modern sensibility, the journey of humanity seeking answers through prayer in the face of anxiety about the future and the direction of life since ancient times. This universal sentiment is encapsulated in the symbol of the "wanderer," delivering a profound resonance to the audience.
The choreography was created by rising choreographer Kim Jaewon, who has received numerous awards, including the Gold Prize at the 2024 MODAFE (International Modern Dance Festival) and the Gold Prize at the 2022 Yukwansoon Dance Competition. Through this work, Kim made his debut on an overseas stage.
"Wanderers" was first premiered as an 11-minute short piece at the Seoul Dance Play Festival (SDP), for which Professor Hong serves as the general planner and artistic director. Following a recommendation from a Spanish director and an official invitation from the Sibiu organizing committee, the piece was newly expanded into a 50-minute medium-length work and presented on the European stage.
The performance was held at the CAVAS Hall of Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, and all 300 seats were sold out in advance, demonstrating the high level of local interest. Audience members responded that they were deeply impressed by the Korean sentiment embedded in the work, the delicate expressiveness of contemporary dance, and the direction that harmonized old Korean popular songs with both Eastern and Western sensibilities.
This official invitation was a meaningful opportunity to introduce Sahmyook University's artistic strength and international capabilities to the world, going beyond mere participation in a stage performance.
Professor Hong also participated as a speaker at the international seminar "U.Talk," held as a side event of the festival, where she introduced the Global Culture and Arts Convergence Department and the Graduate School of Integrated Arts at Sahmyook University to professors and doctoral students from various European countries.
She presented Sahmyook University's integrated arts curriculum, educational philosophy, international student composition, and the expertise of its faculty, fostering in-depth exchanges with educators from diverse countries.
As a result, Sahmyook University received various proposals for cooperation from major European universities in Romania, the Netherlands, and Spain, including participation in the Erasmus+ exchange student program organized by the European Union. Currently, active discussions are underway, led by the university's Office of International Affairs, to sign MOUs.
In addition, the possibility of cooperation with Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (LBUS), a co-host of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, is also being explored. Professor Hong voluntarily requested a meeting with the university, directly introduced her department, and discussed future exchange plans.
Professor Hong stated, "The greatest reward was being officially invited to a world-class stage and being able to showcase Sahmyook University's capabilities. I expect this will serve as a positive turning point for attracting international students from Europe in the future. Sahmyook University's educational philosophy and global perspective are highly competitive. I hope to continue sincere artistic exchanges that resonate with the sentiments of Europe."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
