Artistic Director Cha Jinyeop: "Korea National Contemporary Dance Company should help Korean dancers grow"

"I believe the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company should help bring the hardworking, highly skilled choreographers and dancers of our country into the spotlight as 'big names.'"

Cha Jinyeop, artistic director of the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, held an inauguration press conference on the 7th at the National Performing Arts Center rehearsal facility at the Seoul Arts Center, where she outlined the company’s future direction. On May 19, 2026, Cha was appointed the company’s sixth director and artistic director for a three-year term.

Since the founding of the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet in 2024 and the opening of the GS Arts Center last year, opportunities to see works by renowned international choreographers in Korea have increased significantly. So far this year, works by internationally renowned choreographers such as Alexander Ekman, Johan Inger, and Wayne McGregor have been introduced in Korea. Last April, Bejart Ballet Lausanne, founded by French choreographer Maurice Bejart (1927-2007), known as a "revolutionary of modern ballet," visited Korea and performed Bejart’s signature work "Bolero" with Kim Kimin, a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet. With performances of renowned international works on the rise, the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company has greater reason to consider how to attract audiences.

Cha Jinyeop, director and artistic director of the National Contemporary Dance Company of Korea, explains the company’s future direction at a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center on the 7th. National Contemporary Dance Company of Korea (c) Choi Geunwoo

Cha said she had considered collaborating with internationally renowned choreographers. However, she stressed that the company’s more important responsibility, as the national company representing contemporary dance, is to discover and nurture Korean creators.

"There are so many talented and capable creators in Korea," Cha said. "I believe the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company’s role is to discover them, create an environment where they can grow, and present their works on the world stage."

She also indicated that the company would keep its distance from the approach of attracting audiences by putting works by famous international choreographers front and center.

"Bringing in a choreographer who is already well known to the public could attract audiences at first," Cha said. "Of course, audience numbers are very important, but the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company is not an organization that operates for profit."

She went on to emphasize that she wants to introduce contemporary dance to Korean audiences and create opportunities for Korean choreographers and dancers. "I strongly want to convey to the public the fundamental questions and meaning inherent in contemporary dance," Cha said. "Even if it takes time, I want to build more connections with artists in the dance and arts communities." Cha also admitted that seeing internationally renowned choreographers appear one after another on Korean stages had, "on the one hand, made me feel a deep sense of deprivation."

That day, Cha unveiled a new mission for the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company: "Question the times through the body; move people and the world through dance." Its vision is "A creative community cultivated together." She said the company aims to deepen the artistic value of its works as a national institution representing contemporary dance, build a foundation for creators to explore and collaborate, and expand opportunities for audiences to experience the body and dance.

As an artistic direction for realizing this vision, she presented "BODYING." Cha explained that the term combines "body" and "ing" and describes "an artistic approach that sees the body not as fixed or complete, but as something that continues to take shape and change through relationships."

Cha emphasized that the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company is giving considerable thought to how it should establish its identity as the dance company representing Korea. "Despite our tireless efforts over the years, there have been things we could not fully express because of the constraints and limitations of being a national institution," she said. "We will continue to build a solid history of contemporary dance in Korea while steadily accumulating the assets of a national dance company."

Starting late this year, Cha plans to present a series of works that reflect her artistic vision. In November 2026, she is scheduled to stage "BEING BEING Bing" at the Consolation Hall of the Seosomun Shrine History Museum. The work asks what beings with vulnerable and finite bodies need in order to live together. In April 2027, she will present "Not Yet Dry," the first work in a new "Body, Microbe, and Flesh" series, at the CJ Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center.

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