Company Introduction

Founded in 1986, the Seoul Performing Arts Company is a national and public art company affiliated to Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. After the exchange of performances by North and South Korean art companies in 1985, the Company was first established as the 88 Seoul Performing Arts Company on August 1, 1986 in an attempt to recover the two Koreas’ cultural homogeneity, to engage in inter-Korean exchange of the arts and culture and to serve as a large, comprehensive art company serving Korea’s major events. The Company then became an independent foundation affiliated to the Ministry of Culture in 1990. Boasting its history and tradition of over 30 years, the Company has produced high-quality creative musicals that preserve and develop the value of tradition with strong content encompassing Korea’s history and persons and that communicate with today’s audience. The Company is composed of chairman of the board Hee-seong Yu, artistic director Ho-seong Kwon, 16 members of the secretariat and 39 artists.

Synopsis

Deok-chul Shim is an old man who is going to be 70 in a few months. He has lived a lonely life after retiring from his mail delivery job. He attends his friend’s funeral and afterward, he decides to learn ballet he has dreamed of for a long time. Despite his family’s opposition, Deok-chul manages to visit the Kyung-guk Mun Ballet Company. There, he meets Chae-rok Lee, a promising 23-year-old ballet dancer who suffers from ceaseless injuries and hardships day by day. After much meandering, Deo-chul becomes Chae-rok’s student and start learning ballet in earnest. Through ballet, Deok-chul gradually understands Chae-rok. who seemed to be curt at first. As they understand each other, they form a friendship despite their age gap.

Original Story: HUN and Jimin / Playwriting and Words: Hae-rim Park / Composition: Hyo-eun Kim / Directing: Jae-hyung Seo / Choreography: Hee-wung Yu

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