Intro

A choreographic documentary that traces how bodies are controlled in a system by overlapping dance competitions and Korea’s mandatory military service

Synopsis

 Historical records tell us that Korea＇s contemporary dance developed rapidly to have today’s form after the Matha Graham Technique was introduced from the United States in 1963.

  However, something is missing in the records: story of the link between male dancers’ exemption from their mandatory military service and dance competitions. Such a link is directly connected to Korea＇s modern history. Because of the division of the Korean peninsula, Korean men who reach the age of 18 must fulfill their military service. However, since 1983, the winner of the grand prize at the Dong-A Dance Competition has been exempted from his military duty.

  Based on such a historical background, the theme of this project is The Bodily Record on the History of Korea＇s Contemporary Dance: The Glorious No.1. After such a benefit of exemption took effect, the country’s regime, which was entirely irrelevant to the dancing field, started to influence the internal system, training method and dance styles significantly. The military service system, which was purely set up to be prepared for war, drove male dancers to engage in another bloody war of their own to win the benefit of exemption from the military service through the dance competition. It was deemed personal glory, which is earned in exchange for the exemption from protecting the country, Such glory stands in contrast to the glory of protecting the country. The project aims to flash back to the glorious moments by delving into the male dancers＇ successes and failures and to see how they have used their bodies in the process of preparing their stage.

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Review

CHAPO

Avec une belle dose d＇humour, cette jeune chor- graphe de Soul, 3e prix Danse largie 2016, inter- roge la comptition et la discipline, dans un contexte particulier. En Core du Sud, les danseurs sacrs champions peuvent devenir des stars et, plus important encore pour les hommes, viter le service militaire ! Entre danse et th羽tre, sur une musique joue live, Glory s＇amuse de l＇ambition ￠ rentrer dans un moule. Que personne ne dise que cette m- taphore ironique de la socit corenne ne nous concerne pas !

/ Thomas Han, AU THTRE DES ABBESSES, les 23 & 24 septembre

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Photos and video

Creator / artist

Choreographer Kwon Lyon eun earned her bachelor＇s degree at the Department of Living Dance and Performing Art of Hanyang University and master＇s degree at the Department of Choreography of Korea National University of Arts. she not only performs as a member of LEE K. DANCE, but she also serves as its artistic director. After winning The French Embassy Prize for Young Choreographer for The Skill for me at the 2014 Yokohama Dance CollectionEX in Japan, Lyon eun participated in an Artist-In-Residence program backed by the Centre Choregraphique National and Institut Francais du Japon for six months and presented Homo Knitiens at Centre Choregraphique National that December. In July 2015, Lyon eun was invited to Yokohama to perform in Dance Cross and performed at the Seoul Performing Arts Festival in October.
Lyon eun won the grand prize at the Seoul Dance Collection of 2008 Seoul Performing Arts Festival for her Coco. She was designated as 2011-2012 Young Art Frontier AYAF and was selected by the Arts Council Korea to participate in the Nurturing & Incubating Program for the Next Generation Choreographer in 2012 where she drew attention as a young choreographer.

Promotion Infomation

TOUR SIZE
Performers : 3
Staff : 4

DURATION
10 min. (No intermission)

STAGE SIZE
Width : 14 m, Depth : 21 m, Height : 7 m

Contact

Lyon-eun KWON