Chae Sira to Make Special Appearance at 47th Seoul Dance Festival, Perform Choi Seung-hui's "Bodhisattva Dance"

Connection to the lead role in the 1995 drama "Choi Seung-hui"
Seoul Dance Festival opens November 4 and runs through 29
Spotlighting the history and heritage of Korean dance, 100 years of New Dance

Chae Sira, who played Choi Seung-hui in the 1995 MBC drama "Choi Seung-hui," will perform Choi Seung-hui's "Bodhisattva Dance" on November 18 at the Grand Theater of the Arko Arts Theater in Jongno-gu, Seoul—not as an actress but as a dancer. Chae will take the stage in the "Masterpiece Dance Theater" program at the 47th Seoul Dance Festival, which opens on November 4.

The 47th Seoul Dance Festival, hosted by the Korean Dance Association and organized by the Seoul Dance Festival Organizing Committee, will run from November 4 to 29 at the Grand Theater of the Arko Arts Theater and the Seoul Dance Creation Center. Marking 100 years since the birth of New Dance, this year's festival takes "One Singular Sensation" as its theme, looking back on the history and heritage of Korean dance and exploring new possibilities for contemporary dance.

Chae will make a special appearance in the Masterpiece Dance Theater program. She is said to have received special instruction for the performance from Im Seongok, artistic director of the National Heritage Promotion Agency. The agency's arts troupe, along with Yu Yeongsu, Seol Jayoung, Han Dongyeop and Kim Hoeun, will also perform.

Chae is said to have been so interested in dance that she dreamed of studying it in college. In 2024, she served as a promotional ambassador for the Seoul Dance Festival and gave a short performance. Last year, she made her official debut as a dancer, playing the "Queen of the Dragon Palace" in "Dansim," a traditional performance at the National Jeongdong Theater.

This year's Seoul Dance Festival will use dance to spotlight the value of the body's senses and movements—qualities unique to humans—even in a society centered on artificial intelligence (AI) and technology. Marking 100 years since the birth of New Dance, the festival will look back on the language of the body and the artistic value cultivated by Korean dance over the past century, while exploring the possibilities for the next generation of dance.

A pre-festival will take place from November 4 to 7 ahead of the main event. The Seoul Dance Creation Center will host "Passion Dance Floor - Seoul Dance Festival: I Dance," a participatory program for citizens, and "Gestures Blooming Across a Century: Cheongan Jimu," a performance in which 12 dancers trace the development of New Dance over the past 100 years.

The main festival will open on November 13 with an opening ceremony and "Mu.Nyeom.Mu.Sang I." Cho Yongjin & Park Hyeji, the Jeon Sunhee Yeoul Dance Company, the Kim Jingul Sanjo Dance Preservation Society and Chumieum will take part, showcasing the depth and essence of Korean dance.

On November 15, "Mu.Nyeom.Mu.Sang II" will feature C2DANCE, Toetmaru Dance Company, R.se dC, System on Public Eye and Company J, presenting contemporary and experimental movements.

The festival's centerpiece, the "Competition for the Grand Prize," will run from November 20 to 27. Four choreographers named "Choreographers of the Year"—Gi Mugan, Choi Jaehyeok, Choi Jain and Han Jeongmi—will each present an original work. RANGMAN, led by Gi Mugan, will present "We Call It Love"; Garimda Dance Company, led by Choi Jaehyeok, will present "The Loss of In"; Project Chang, led by Choi Jain, will present "Dawn"; and Dance Project Dot Line Plane, led by Han Jeongmi, will present "To Your Heart's Content, Utopia." The final winners will be announced at the awards and closing ceremonies on November 29.

On November 26 and 28, the Seoul Dance Creation Center will host "Seoul Dance Lab," an experimental showcase for emerging choreographers. Twelve choreographers—Yu Jaeseong, Park Dasol, Kim Donghyeon, Kim Seoyeon, Kim Deokyong, Han Jiwon, Kim Yeongin, Byeon Sumin, Kim Juhyeon, Kang Jinbi, Jo Uhyeon and Lee Jeongeun—will take part, using "One Singular Sensation" as their shared theme to express contemporary social issues and artistic discourse through the language of the body.

This year's promotional ambassador for the Seoul Dance Festival is Yunbyeol Ballet Company. Ballerino Kang Gyeongho, who placed second in the final rankings on Mnet's "Stage Fighter," along with artistic director Yunbyeol, Kang Seoyeon, Kim Yuchan and Jeong Seonguk, will promote the festival and dance as an art form.

Cho Namgyu, chairman of the Korean Dance Association, said, "I hope this festival will bring together the traditions of Korean dance and the diverse movements of today," adding, "I hope it will be a time when not only dance professionals but also citizens can discover their own senses and bodies through dance, enjoy it together and share in the experience."

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