Honoring a modern dance pioneer

It’s been 50 years since Korea’s pioneering modern dancer and choreographer Yook Wan-soon held her first solo performance in Seoul, the first American-style modern dance ever showcased in the country.“I had to major in physical education in college because no university at the time offered degrees in dance,” said Yook during a press conference in Seoul last week. “Physical education programs offered one or two dance sessions but it was nowhere near what dance students learn at art schools these

Dec. 24, 2012

4Men’s ballads and laughs delight audiences

Get up close and personal with the vocal trio 4Men (the group originally consisted of four members) during the group’s end-of-the-year holiday concert series. Members Kim Young-jae, Shin Yong-Jae and Kim Won-joo not only showcase their strong, soothing R&B voices through more than 20 of their singles, but also their comedic and entertaining interactions with the audience. “If you want to hug us or anything, don’t be shy ― just come right up to the stage,” Young-jae said with a laugh during 4Men’

Dec. 24, 2012

A package deal

This is the eighth in a series on foreigners working in the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.From the beginning of their Korea experience, Brad Moore, drummer from indie band and “Superstar K” finalists Busker Busker, and Dani Bacon have been in on it together. “Since we met back home, we were actually together for two years before we came here. I think that really helped us. I can’t imagine coming here alone and struggling with all the things that we went through,” Dani said.Contrary to comm

Dec. 23, 2012

‘Gangnam Style’ surpasses 1b views

Global K-pop star Psy continues to make history and shows no signs of stopping. Friday, Dec. 21, marked a YouTube milestone with the viral mega hit “Gangnam Style” becoming the first video to reach one billion views. The video has already received more than 20 million more views, as of Sunday morning.On Nov. 24, “Gangnam Style” made history by becoming the most-watched YouTube video in less than five months, surpassing 810 million views and ending Justin Bieber’s reign at the top. Psy’s hit curr

Dec. 23, 2012

Report: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez reconcile

Former couple Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were seen boarding a jet together in Van Nuys, Calif., E! News reported.The singers confirmed last month they had ended their romance after two years.But E! News said they seemed to be back together Wednesday as they boarded the plane, even though Gomez, 20, covered her face and part of her body with a big green coat.Bieber, 18, also visited Gomez on the set of her upcoming comedy film “Behaving Badly” and plans to spend Christmas with her, the repor

Dec. 23, 2012

Eyelike:

Green Day completes trilogy with ‘Tre’Green Day``Uno,‘’ `‘Dos’‘ and ``Tre’‘(Reprise Records)As record sales continue to wane, one has to wonder the logic behind separately releasing a trilogy of albums over the course of three months. Maybe when you’re a punk band coming off a pair of hugely successful concept albums turned into a Broadway smash, you do things a little differently. Still, it‘s an unusual way to release your ninth, tenth and eleventh studio albums.``Tre,’‘ the final installment o

Dec. 21, 2012

Andy Warhol’s Mao portraits excluded from China show

BEIJING (AFP) ― Andy Warhol’s famous portraits of Mao Zedong will be excluded in a major show of his work in China, organizers said Wednesday, although they stopped short of saying they had been censored.The exhibition to mark the 25th anniversary of the American artist’s death, which is currently touring Asia, features more than 300 of his works including 10 acrylic and silkscreen portraits of the former Chinese leader.But the U.S.-based Andy Warhol Museum which is organising the tour said the

Dec. 20, 2012

Korea undervalues its designers, say foreign professors

There is a long way to go for Korea to become a global design power house if it continues to offer little recognition to designers and doesn’t support them in developing their creative thinking, foreign design professors teaching in Korea said. At a graduation show of the master’s degree students at the International Design School for Advanced Studies, a school which fills half of its teaching staff with foreign professors, the design professors from abroad stressed that Korea needs to support y

Dec. 20, 2012

Hi.ni not looking to be just another K-pop trend

Rookie singer Won Yoo-ri and the members of her marketing team were all sitting in an office one day racking their brains for a suitable stage name for the young artist. While brainstorming, the singer’s father sent her a suggestion that apparently ended all discussions. “My dad is currently working in Vietnam and he picked out the name ‘Hi.ni’ for me,” said the singer. The stage name derives from the Vietnamese word “hi nhi,” meaning baby. Vocalist Hi.ni entered the music scene in September wit

Dec. 20, 2012

Life in the fast lane: Solo pop stars more likely to die young

Solo rock stars are twice as likely to die prematurely as counterparts who perform in groups, a study published in the journal BMJ Open said Wednesday.British researchers examined the fate of 1,489 rock and pop performers who had risen to fame in a study period that spanned half a century, from Elvis Presley in 1956 to the Arctic Monkeys in 2006.A total of 137, or 9.2 percent, died prematurely, at 45.2 years of age on average for North American stars and 39.6 for those in Europe.Substance abuse

Dec. 20, 2012

Pine trees take on new meaning under Moon Bong-sun

 Pine trees are so common in Korea that Koreans use parts of the tree such as the needles and pollen for special dishes, as well as the timber for numerous purposes. But in the hands of Moon Bong-sun, an oriental painter who strives to preserve traditional drawing techniques and brush strokes, they each become one of a kind. Seoul Museum presents 20 ink-and-wash paintings of pine trees by Moon. The large pine tree paintings overwhelm viewers with their scale and symbolism. Pine trees represent s

Dec. 19, 2012

Oslo as an art destination

OSLO ― Dusk falls at around 3 p.m. in Oslo, casting a gloomy grayish light over the city. The atmosphere soon changes dramatically, however, when the street lamps and the lights in numerous glass buildings come on. The city is basked in a warm amber glow, a perfect foil to the harsh cold of a Nordic winter evening. While most Korean tourists visit Norway in the summer ― mostly on cruises where you can view up close the breathtaking fjords ― a day or two in Oslo can also yield surprisingly happy

Dec. 19, 2012

[Photo] S. Korean entertainers post photos to encourage voting

Korean entertainers are posting photos of themselves in front of presidential election polling stations on their Twitter accounts to certify they have cast a vote, while at the same time encouraging fans to participate in one of the most important national events in five years.The voting for South Korea’s next president began on Wednesday at 6 a.m., and the voter turnout was tallied at 52.6 percent after eight hours since the polls opened amid freezing temperatures, the National Election Commiss

Dec. 19, 2012

‘The True Story of Ah Q’ by author Lu Xin transcends time and space

Chinese writer Lu Xin’s 1921 novella “The True Story of Ah Q” is being staged as a contemporary dance piece by Korea’s state-run troupe this winter.Choreographed by local artist Hong Sung-yop, “Ah Q” was premiered by Hong’s own, private troupe at LG Arts Center in 2006. It has been made into a new version for the upcoming show, after going through changes and script revisions. Hong has been serving as the artistic director of the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company since 2010. One of the l

Dec. 18, 2012

Kim Jun dreams of ‘golden days of jazz’ in Korea

The drum starts to beat, the guitarist makes out a tune and the singer scats. Each musician plays his or her own tune, without practice, without discussion. But they create a rich and exciting harmony. The audience stomps and claps, snapping their fingers with their eyes closed and crooning their own tunes. When the music stops, the musicians, soaked in perspiration, smile with joy and the audience is briefly at a lose for words before they begin to applaud. “Oh, that’s the beauty of jazz,” said

Dec. 18, 2012