Performance Info

Modern Table is a dance company that communicates with audiences through intuitive movements which can be enjoyed and appreciated without interpretation or commentary. Its dancers sing and move back and forth from stage to theater seats to create a fresh new multi-sensory experience. Modern Table has received international recognition for its popular sensibility and traditional Korean elements, and its unpredictable ideas and experimental works amaze both the public and critics alike. Since its foundation in 2014, the all-male dance team creates performances with dynamic movement and Korean traditional elements that are experimental and entertaining at the same time.

Artistic director & choreographer Kim, Jae-duk

Interview

Q: Tell us about “Darkness Poomba,” one of the main works in Modern Table’s repertoire.

“Darkness Poomba” take the traditional Korean “poomba” and reinterprets it in a contemporary way. “Poomba” is a beggar who sings for alms with anger and frustration, sort of like a Spanish gypsy. Like traditional Korean performances that combine song, dance, and theater and are performed in a round stage, we combined movement and music but presented the show in a proscenium theater. We fused basic movements from ballet, images and flow from traditional Korean dance, and contemporary dance movements to create this work. We then spiced it up with Western port de bras, talchum (Korean masked dance), and taekkyeon, the traditional Korean martial art. “Darkness Poomba” is characterized by its amazing speed. The traditional elements in the music make it sound familiar to Korean audiences. From the middle of the performance, the wall between the audience and the stage disappears, and by the end of the performance, the audience and the performers become unified as one. The work has no plot, but the audience feels a sense of void that we try to fill. In 2019, this work held 30 performances in just one month, a rare occurrence in the Korean dance scene. It was a meaningful experience that allowed us to see the potential of modern dance in Korea.

Speed can be very fast, but also very slow. I was curious about how people experience this speed and time, so I used my choreographic method to create fast and slow movements. In “Velocity” I collected various movements from nature, such as the air, clouds, and wind, as well as Korean farmers’ music (nongak) and taekkyeon moves. My goal in “Velocity” was to create something that wasn’t actually traditional, but felt traditional. In general people talk about the “modernization of tradition,” but I talk about the “traditionalization of modernity.” That’s because I, Kim Jae-duk, approach tradition with modern thoughts and ideas. In “Velocity,” we hear the janggu (double-headed drum) playing, but it doesn’t sound like a janggu. We hear the kkwaenggwari (small gong), but it strangely sounds like Western music. I arouse the audience’s curiosity by creating this confusion.

“Ham;beth” takes key words from “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” and combines them with the traditional Korean shaman ritual gut to create a new dance work. I enjoyed watching movies of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” and wondered how I could express their themes and human psychology. I eventually decided to set my Hamlet in contemporary times. I added more gestures compared to my usual method, and added orchestra instruments to expand the scale of the work. I then dressed the dancers in mustard yellow tuxedos, which I felt was rather British. I was curious what kind of effect would be created if I used eastern dance methods, so I borrowed traditional elements from the Korean shaman ritual gut to create an Eastern-style “Shakespearean” performance.

When I choreograph for Modern Table, I take two approaches. First, I create pure art pieces that may at first seem unapproachable to the public, something like “Velocity.” But I also create works that the public can easily enjoy and relate to, such as “Darkness Poomba.” I regard choreography as design of the phenomenal body. I make dramas based on the probability of the phenomenal body. In dramatic dance with narrative, I design contextual probability. In movement dances, I design phenomenal probability. I differentiate between the two methods when I choreograph.

I don’t watch movies or performances to get inspired. Rather, I get inspiration from life. I look back at my past and try out new experiences. I sometimes get inspiration from fashion. When I see clothes by John Galliano, Philipp Plein, and Rick Owens, I imagine how their creative ideas can be expressed through other genres. Choreography is very simple to me. I move in front of a mirror and capture stylish movements. When I compose, I also begin by collecting stylish sounds. As I choreograph, beautiful sounds sometimes come to mind. And as I compose, I suddenly get ideas for dance. I approach creation from these two directions.

I released a single album and have composed 30 other musical works. I think I’ve concentrated more on my musical career since the COVID pandemic. I also get commissions for dance music. This year, I got commissions from the National Dance Company of Korea and the Gyeonggido Dance Company. Composing for dance companies made me realize once again how indispensable music is to dance. Even during moments of silence, music exists—since the audience continues to feel the rhythm. If I were a pop music composer, I wouldn’t be able to know the tastes and trends of dance choreographers. I think my dance music compositions are competitive because I understand how dance is designed. Once the music is completed, the choreographer is able to create the dance very rapidly. I think music has a very strong presence in dance.

I’ve choreographed 12 to 13 works as the resident choreographer of T.H.E. Dance Company in Singapore. I’ve also collaborated with many national, municipal, and state dance companies abroad. My foreign commissions are stylistically different from my productions in Korea and reflect another different, more comfortable side of me. The contemporary dance scene is heavily influenced by media, but I prefer performing on an actual stage to film work. This year, I had the opportunity to participate in the Pacific International Theatre Festival in Vladivostok, something I’d always hoped for. It was a very happy experience. Next year, I will be a guest choreographer for the City Contemporary Dance Company in Hong Kong. Talks are also in progress with other international dance festivals and dance companies. Things have slowed down due to the corona virus, but I am hopeful that my overseas activities will be active in the near future.

Production Details

〈Darkness Poomba〉
〈Velocity〉
〈Ham;beth〉
〈Sinawee〉

- 2021 Tanzmesse NRW showcase, Germany
- 2019 The Place ‘A Festival of Korean Dance’, UK
- 2019 Sziget Festival, Hungary
- 2019 OPEN LOK Int’l Dance Festival, Russia
- 2018 SÃo Paulo City Ballet, Brazil
- 2017 Chekhov Int’l Theatre Festival, Russia
- 2017 Greenwich + Docklands Int’l Festival, UK
- 2017 ‘Travelling Korean Arts’ Tours in Hungary, Czech, UAE Abu Dhabi, Egypt
- 2016 The Place, UK
- 2014 December Dance, Belgium

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