On Sunday, DanceMotion USA
(sm) is proud to kick off our first dance exchange here on American soil. We are thrilled to welcome our friends from
Korea National Contemporary Dance Company to the USA for what promises to be an incredible collaboration between Korean and American dancers.
This spring,
Trey McIntyre Project of Boise, Idaho toured with DanceMotion USA
(sm) to China, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines. In Seoul, they met "KNCDC," with whom Trey felt a strong connection.
“…When I watched them in rehearsal, I could tell they had a real generosity of spirit and a way of
being present and in the moment that is very similar to the way TMP works.”
On October 19th, three principal dancers from KNCDC will step off the plane in Boise, Idaho - where Trey McIntyre Project is based - to rehearse for three weeks with TMP on a new collaborative piece called
"The Unkindness of Ravens," which they will perform both in Boise and at BAM as part of its renowned Next Wave Festival.
Meet the Collaborating KNCDC Dancers
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| c Korea National Contemporary Dance Company |
An Lee Chang holds a gold medal from the 2010 Korea International Concours and was awarded first place in the 2010 Seoul International Dance Concours. She says about dance, "To me, dancing is a time which offers special moments where I can become another person." And on performing in the Next Wave Festival with Trey McIntyre Project? "The excitement and curiosity about starting something new, this piece with many other people, fills me with anticipation."
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c Korea National Contemporary Dance Company
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So Jin Lee is trained in ballet, contemporary, and traditional dance. She has worked with Sungkyunkwan University, the Berlin DOCK11-Studio, collaborated with Danny Tan in Singapore, and with Dance Theatre ON for four years. Now, as a dancer with KNCDC since 2010, she says, "I have come to understand the responsibility and attitude of mind that one must possess as a serious dancer. I have always questioned the pull of internal movement in dance rather than its external appearance, and want to dance freely while simply breathing." On performing at Next Wave? "I know just how famous a place BAM is - just being able to perform there will be an extreme honor for me. Over and out!"
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| c Korea National Contemporary Dance |
Kim Taehee joined KNCDC immediately after her graduation from the Sunkyunkwan University of Art in 2010. She says of KNCDC, "The level of ability of the individual is very important but I have learned that there is no energy that tugs on the heartstrings like that of the energy produced through the togetherness of the dancers helping each other." She says that the idea of performing at the Next Wave Festival "seems like a dream - I'm slightly nervous but very much looking forward to the honor."
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| Trey works with An Lee, So Jin and Taehee in Seoul this August (c US Embassy Seoul) |
After three weeks of rehearsals in Boise, Taehee, An Lee, and So Jin will join eleven of their KNCDC colleagues in Brooklyn along with Trey McIntyre Project for
a weekend of collaborative performances with both companies at BAM.
Stay tuned on Sunday for updates on their arrival! Each dancer will be posting photos, videos, and thoughts for the duration of their time here in the United States.
Follow us here on the blog, on
Facebook,
Twitter, and
YouTube, and on Instagram (
dancemotionusa) to catch all of their adventures!
