National Contemporary Dance Company to Stage "Triple Bill" Featuring William Forsythe and More

October 2-4 at CJ Towol Theater, Seoul Arts Center

The National Contemporary Dance Company will present a "triple bill" performance, which includes a work by William Forsythe, from October 2 to 4 at the CJ Towol Theater at the Seoul Arts Center.

Audiences will be able to experience William Forsythe's "One Flat Thing, Reproduced," which made its Korean premiere last year through the company's "double bill," as well as Jaeyoung Lee's "Mechanism," recognized for its artistic merit on major stages both in Korea and abroad, and Cheolin Jeong's "Unprotected." All three pieces will be featured in one program.

William Forsythe's "One Flat Thing, Reproduced" (2000) explores the structure of ballet and the composition of space through the movements of dancers weaving among metal tables. The metal tables arranged onstage serve both to restrict the dancers' movement range and act as reference points for the choreography. Multiple movement themes, signaling systems, and spatial arrangements operate concurrently to inform the dancers' movements.

William Forsythe performed as a dancer with the Joffrey Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet, and in 1976 was appointed resident choreographer at Stuttgart Ballet. From 1984, he led the Frankfurt Ballet for 20 years before founding The Forsythe Company, which he directed until 2015. His accolades include the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, the German Theater Prize Faust for Lifetime Achievement, and, in November 2024, the Kyoto Prize.

Jaeyoung Lee's "Mechanism" deals with the movement of humans living within systems such as the universe, the Earth, civilization, and society. The piece contrasts bodies moving according to predetermined structures with movements that induce change in those structures. For this performance, the number of dancers will increase from the original six to nine.

William Forsythe 'One Flat Thing, Reproduced' performance scene. National Contemporary Dance Company, (c) Aiden Hwang

Jaeyoung Lee founded Sinabro Gaseume in 2013 and has explored the structures and relationships surrounding the human body and society through works such as "Rest," "Structure of Structure," and "Mechanism." Lee's works have been presented at events including Germany's Tanz im August, International Tanzmesse, Spain's Grec Festival, and The Place in London.

Cheolin Jeong's "Unprotected" explores the relationships among people, vehicles, and objects moving along a roadway. The dancers observe each other's movements, altering their speed and direction or stopping and restarting their motion. The piece demonstrates how movement is composed through the process by which one person's actions influence those of others.

As head of Melancholy Dance Company, Cheolin Jeong has presented works including "Free Fall," "Flight," "0g," "Superhuman," "Your Signs," "Unprotected," and "Mobility: Test Drive." Jeong has explored the structures of movement and relationships, addressing connections among humans, objects, environments, and other existences.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.