Choreographers in Motion: Retrospective and Perspectives (Contemporary Korean Arts #9)

Choreographers and the Universal Language
Masters of Movements

This book explores the lives and works of representative contemporary dance choreographers of Korea, primarily based in Seoul. The artists selected are examined in detail through interviews by thoroughly investigating their education, influences, and creative process that determines their aesthetic inclination. The artists are presented in chronological order, and are further divided into their educational backgrounds, respectively.

The two pioneers of contemporary dance of Korea Yook Wan-soon and Hong Sin Cha, following these artists, the next generation who had studied abroad is introduced. Chung Eui-sook, Ahn Sungsoo, Choe Sang-cheul, and Ahn Eun-me went to the United States, the home of contemporary dance and Yu Mina and Nam Jeong-ho went to study in Europe and absorbed the contemporary dance techniques of Europe. Meanwhile homegrown artists Kim Bock Hee, Park Myungsook, Jeon Mi Sook, Son Kwan Jung, and Ahn Aesoon developed within the university dance departments in Korea whose works are directly influenced by Korean motifs, and artists such as Hong Sungyop, Park Hobin, and Jung Young-doo originally had different majors, but later changed their careers to contemporary dance. As well as these respected artists, the book covers arising young choreographers and their artistic experiments.

Despite the categorizations according to their international and national influences, it does not do justice to simply classify these artists works in to mere American, European, or Korean styles. This book ultimately pursued to find common aspects that motivate and inspire Korean choreographers that can be identified as the local style in pursuit of the identity of contemporary dance in Korea. To hone their universal language to perfection, these choreographers more so nowadays, collaborate with specialists in various genres and are creating yet again a new dance culture.