Inventing Korean dance fusion

Won-sun Choi melds the elegance of tradition with the unfettered energy of modern dance

BY ANN HASKINS

Steeped in a world of elegant, floor-length, high-waisted dresses with scarves and fans extending graceful arm movements, Won-sun Choi immersed herself in classical Korean dance throughout her childhood in Korea’s equivalent of an arts magnet school.  Continuing to major in classical dance at university, Choi elected to minor in two western dance forms, ballet and modern dance, and was struck by the potential to expand and contemporize classical Korean movement  by adapting modern dance techniques and choreographic elements.  After dancing with a respected Korean dance company, Choi continued her dance studies at the University of California, Riverside, and in 2006 established her own company, Born Dance, to further explore what she calls “Korean dance fusion.”

Taking time out from rehearsal for the upcoming Born Dance Company performance at the Ford Amphitheatre on July 30, Choi talked about why the concert will include traditional Korean dances performed by esteemed guest artists from Korea as well as her own contemporary choreography. Meeting at a Koreatown coffee house, Choi leads the way to a comfortable banquette amid customers nursing their lattes as well as some sipping one of the selection of Korean teas not found on any Starbucks’ menu. Choi explains that, like the coffee house’s accommodation of western and eastern influences, the Ford performance is a nod to Korean dance’s past and present.

Artistic Director Won-Sun Choi

“Traditional Korean dance is drawn from court dances, but also religious ceremonies and village festivals and has tremendous variety, ranging from slow dances to peppy dances with drums,” Choi offers.  “But all Korean dance is very concerned with breath.  The torso and legs are very grounded and the movement generally moderated, articulated in the arms and head. Scarves and fans are used to extend the movement and create an airborne quality.” Choi’s slender hands carve the air and her head gently tilts as she unconsciously illustrates how deeply the movements have been ingrained into her body, but as she talks about the connections she made with modern dance, her body straightens and her gestures grow more expansive. 

“While I can use a scarf to expand a movement in a Korean dance, with modern dance, the movement can take my entire body into the air or onto the ground, a gesture can extend to a greater extreme, even off balance,” Choi says that the element of improvisation is a potent addition to Korean dance, where each dance’s elements must be studied and replicated for years before a dancer is certified to perform that specific dance.

The second half of Born Dance’s Ford evening will showcase two works by Choi.

“’Tal’ illustrates how a traditional Korean mask dance often used to the mock upper classes can employ both the traditional Korean masks and western movement to convey a more contemporary sense of the multiple personalities or faces within an individual as they act and react in their daily lives,” she says.

Program finale "Life Journey"

Choi regards the program’s finale, “Life Journey,” as her most ambitious choreography to date. The dancers articulate the movement with paint on the canvas-covered stage. By its end, the dance and dancers produce a canvas resembling Korean calligraphy. Both works spotlight the company dancers: Rachel Holdt, Kijai Salimy, Victoria Smith, Cydney Watson and Choi.

Asked about developing a multi-cultural, multi-racial company rooted in traditional Korean dance, Choi admits she and her dancers approached each other from opposite directions. “These dancers’ core training was modern dance and most have experience working with modern dance companies and their choreographers. They came with the modern dance background, and had to train and acquire knowledge of Korean dance technique, the opposite of my journey.”

Ann Haskins writes about dance for L.A. Weekly, Pointe Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine and other performing arts publications. She has provided theater and dance interviews and commentary for KUSC-FM, KLON-FM and KCRW-FM.

For more information about this specific event, click here.

Click here to see behind-the-scenes pictures of Born Dance Company in action.

Choi's performance is one event in the Ford's 17-event DANCE series highlighting cultural dances from around the world.

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