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*Company Introduction
On this level, Eun-Me Ahn that France discovered in 2013 and 2014 thanks to Festival Paris Quartier d’Eté, has found new, unexpected and exciting ways. This comes first from her own itinerary, marked as much by the learning and exploration of shamanic traditions as by the many years spent in New York or a profound friendship with the missed Pina Bausch (who invited her many times in Wuppertal). Korean and cosmopolitan, figure of the avant-garde, choreographer of the official opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in Daegu (2002) and artist invited to the most important international festivals, she knows how to improve the beauties of contrast and mix polka dots, stripes and flowers, how to play with the most pop colors before switching to the most solemn austerity, how to play with the most subtle shades of androgyny, or use slowness to make trance rhythm burst…
*Performance Detail
In 1953 was signed the Panmunjom armistice, putting an end to a fratricidal conflict that made over 3 millions victims, civil and military, and led to the partition of the Korean Peninsula into two distinct states that everything seems to oppose. And the least you can say is that for 65 years, relationships between the two states in the Land of the Morning Calm have been agitated, going from mounting tensions (most of the time) to cooling down gestures (sometimes). About North Korea, we know most of all its leader, its race to be a nuclear power and its ballistics testing. But what about the country’s art, culture and dance?
The Internet is full of videos coming from the North: images of a gigantic ballet praising the regime performed in a stadium where «pixel children» turn the stands into screens reproducing an outdated iconography, images of traditional songs and common to both countries, cheerleaders at the Olympics as well as music videos inspired by the famous K-pop that has become a trademark of South Korea. It is from that material that Eun-Me Ahn starts to give a glimpse on North Korean dance, making these extremely codified forms in her own way, to explore the differences and similarities with South Korean Dance.
With North Koreans, we share the same roots, the same traditions, but because of History and the partition of Korea, dance has evolved very differently on each side of the border. When I watched these videos, I was struck by how much the body is constrained; everything is perfect, precise and dancers look like robots.
Of course, the differences are obvious, but what are our similarities?
On what ground can we meet each other ?
For a long time, North Korea has been regarded as an enemy, but relationships between the two countries have recently improved. I then realized I almost didn’t know anything about North Korea and the dance they do over there. Not just because it was forbidden to have an interest in it, but probably because unconsciously, I didn’t allow myself to do so.
*Photo Copyright: Youngmo Choe
*Video Copyright: Jiwoong Nam
*Video Copyright: Jiwoong Nam
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(4).jpg','*Company Introduction
On this level, Eun-Me Ahn t..');)
