SIBF’s third edition more accessible, features contemporary ballet


The venue has been changed, so have the repertoire and programs.

This year’s edition of the Seoul International Ballet Festival kicked off on Thursday, with many contemporary performances from diverse troupes added to its usual classical repertoire.

During its last edition in 2010, the festival took place at Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater, which is considered the best and one of the most expensive dance venues in Korea.

This year, Arko Arts Theater in Daehangno, a Seoul district known for its small-scale theater houses and rich, youthful street culture, was chosen as the main venue. Thanks to the new venue and its location, this year’s edition has become more accessible to the public.

The festival’s opening show, which was held on Thursday at Arko Arts Theater, reflected the changed nature of the festival. It started off with Czech choreographer Jiri Kylian’s 1991 contemporary piece “Petite Mort” performed by Korea’s Universal Ballet Company.

Kylian created the piece for the 1991 Salzburg Festival on the second centenary of Mozart’s death. UBC first performed the piece in Korea last year, becoming the first and only local troupe to do so.

“Petite Mort,” which literally translates to “small death” in English, is an idiom and metaphor for orgasm in French and Arabic. Using foils and petticoat-like objects, the 12 male and female dancers expressed themes of sexuality, beauty, a sense of attraction and vulnerability. The movements were in sync with Mozart’s Piano Concertos, and the dancers minimal costumes went well with the dark, sensual choreography.

Portuguese Contemporary Ballet Company (Compahnia Portugeusa de Bailado Contemporaneo)’s Fabio Pinheiro and Patricia Henriques also gave an impressive performance during the night, with their piece titled “PASSACAGLIA.” The duo used two chairs as their objects, as a means of attraction as well as violence. The choreography was powerful, especially when the two performed self-destructive scenes using the chairs. In one of the scenes, the dancers fell with a thump to the stage floor, while they were sitting down on the chairs and their hands gripping the furniture’s legs.

Paris Opera Ballet’s Korean-born dancer Park Sae-eun and Pierre Arthur Raveau performed a pas de deux from Rudolf Nureyev’s 1977 version of “Romeo and Juliet.” It was the first time for this version to be performed in Korea, as only John Cranko and Kenneth MacMillan versions have been staged here. Park was radiant and delicate as the young Juliet, and showed great chemistry with Raveau in Prokofiev’s signature score of the piece.

From Aug. 27 to 29, a special educational program will be held at Artist House in Daehangno. Directors of three leading troupes in Korea ― Choi Tae-ji of Korean National Ballet, Julia Moon of the Universal Ballet Company, and Kim In-hee of the Seoul Ballet Theater ― will lecture on some of the most famous ballet pieces in history.

Up-and-coming dancers from different countries, including Izmir National Ballet’s Burcu Olguner from Turkey and Portuguese Contemporary Ballet Company’s Patricia Henriques, will also perform for the festival’s “Young Star Classic” gala program.

The festival runs until Sept. 1. For more information, call (02) 538-0505 or visit www.koreaballet.or.kr.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)