The Korean company MutDance opens the 30th edition.
It will be another month before the doors of the Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti open to the thirtieth anniversary of the Città di Spoleto Dance Competition, but the organisational machine is already in ferment and the first illustrious confirmations have arrived.
The competition will be held from 15 to 21 May and will exceptionally open with the performance Fiore della Danza Coreana, staged by the MutDance Company and sponsored by the Korean Cultural Institute in Italy and the Italian Institute in Seoul. The company, founded in 1994 by choreographer Kim Young Hee and composed of 60 female elements, is today directed by Kim Jung Ah, one of the most important personalities in the panorama of dance in South Korea. In recent years MutDance has become known for its original and elegant style that is rooted in traditional Korean dance and expressed with a contemporary sensibility that manages to involve a wide audience of all ages and cultural backgrounds. It has produced and presented more than 50 shows in many theatres and festivals in Korea and in the world, reaching Slovenia, Croatia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Belgium, Cuba and Iran.
For Spoleto it will be a great honour and certainly a real emotion to host the Flower of Korean Dance, a powerful show that features a soprano, and a rich programme in five parts, which will allow the public to experience a real journey through the Korean tradition, starting with the spectacular Dance of the Fans.
The thirtieth anniversary of the International Dance Competition of Spoleto means becoming international again. After the difficulties encountered last year by some jurors and dancers in reaching Italy due to the Covid emergency, the 2022 edition promises to be decidedly cosmopolitan with guests, academies and jurors from all over the world. General Director Paolo Boncompagni and Artistic Director Irina Kashkova will shortly unveil the jury’s composition.
MutDance – DATA SHEET
THE COMPANY
In Korean language, MUT means earth and courage, reminding us that the origin of the dance starts from the relationship with the earth. In German it means vigour, will and fighting spirit. In the company’s work, these two meanings come together in a continuous and courageous search for new forms, without forgetting the original strength of the dance. In fact, MUTDANCE embraces both the discipline of traditional dance and the new languages of contemporary dance.
Accompanied by breathing techniques particular to traditional dance, the movements start from the ground, often slow and rhythmic, and develop virtuously with balance, grace and fluidity.
The company consists of 60 women, mostly graduates of the prestigious Ewha Womans University in Seoul. It was founded in 1994 by choreographer Kim Young Hee, one of the most important personalities on the dance scene in South Korea. In almost thirty years of activity, the company has made a name for itself with its original and elegant style rooted in traditional Korean dance and expressed with a contemporary sensibility that manages to involve a wide audience of all ages and cultural backgrounds. MutDance is strongly committed to the development of creative Korean dance, and to the diffusion of this artistic genre at an international level. Recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, MutDance has produced and presented over 50 performances in many theatres and festivals, in Korea and internationally, including Slovenia, Croatia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Belgium, Cuba and Iran.
THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Kim Jung-ah is the current President and Artistic Director of the Mutdance company. She started studying dance at a very young age. After graduating from the renowned Yewon Arts High School in Seoul, she went on to earn her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in dance from Ewha Womans University.
In addition to her professional work with the company, Kim Jung-ah teaches master’s and PhD courses at various universities in Korea, including Ewha Womans University, Daegu Yeungnam University and Seowon University.
In 1998, she made her debut as dancer and choreographer in the show “Repeat” with the Mutdance company, then directed by Korean dance icon Kim Younghee, who later chose Kim Jung-ah to continue leading the company.
In 2000, Kim Jung-ah was selected for a festival dedicated to young dancers, “Towards the 21st Century”, in which she participated with her choreography “Spot“. In 2002, she participated in the Asia Dance Exchange Network, organised by the SIDance Festival, as a representative of Korea, presenting her work ‘Um‘ in five different capitals in Asia and Oceania, including Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Sydney and Taiwan. This experience led to a collaboration with Hong Kong, for which she created the show ‘Communication‘. In 2005 she was selected for the eighth edition of the Young Choreographer Critics Selection, with the show “Lo sguardo dell’ombra“. She then collaborated with the Korean Wind Ensemble on the show ‘Gwanak Visual Reminiscence‘, a performance that was a great success for its original fusion of dance, electronic music and traditional music. Among the numerous choreographies she has created and danced are “Moment“, presented at the SIDance Festival Comeback, “Stop“, for the Finding the Color of Our Dance festival, and the creations “The movement I can’t stop“, “Darby ” and “Search me in another time.”
