Presented by National Asian Culture Center Foundation

Cheok is the traditional Asian standard of measurement, meaning ‘span of the hand.’ Resisting the uniform standardisation of society, this personal and individual measurement is the guiding principle of renowned Korean Choreographer Ae-soon Ahn’s visually enticing reflection of the nature of precision.

Mysterious and virtuosic solos and groups connect and communicate in a rich and sensuous landscape of light, video, sound, and movement, creating new connections between humans: not building on logical precision, but rediscovering traditional Asian values. Six exquisite dancers create delicate scenes where memories of ancient systems offer a key to the future.

Presented by National Asian Culture Center Foundation

Cheok is the traditional Asian standard of measurement, meaning ‘span of the hand.’ Resisting the uniform standardisation of society, this personal and individual measurement is the guiding principle of renowned Korean Choreographer Ae-soon Ahn’s visually enticing reflection of the nature of precision.

Mysterious and virtuosic solos and groups connect and communicate in a rich and sensuous landscape of light, video, sound, and movement, creating new connections between humans: not building on logical precision, but rediscovering traditional Asian values. Six exquisite dancers create delicate scenes where memories of ancient systems offer a key to the future.

Presented by National Asian Culture Center Foundation

Cheok is the traditional Asian standard of measurement, meaning ‘span of the hand.’ Resisting the uniform standardisation of society, this personal and individual measurement is the guiding principle of renowned Korean Choreographer Ae-soon Ahn’s visually enticing reflection of the nature of precision.

Mysterious and virtuosic solos and groups connect and communicate in a rich and sensuous landscape of light, video, sound, and movement, creating new connections between humans: not building on logical precision, but rediscovering traditional Asian values. Six exquisite dancers create delicate scenes where memories of ancient systems offer a key to the future.

A sublime evocation of life; a danced ritual for our times.

Most dances from all over the world originated from ‘religious rites’. Burnt Offering, winner of the Best Production award at the 2nd Seoul Arts Awards at the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, invites us to consider what new rituals we need, what we might pray for, and how we can draw on the traditions of the past. It is based on the traditional dance ‘Seungmu’, and uses Korean music, voice and dance to express the contemporary stories that are burning within us.

Dancers gather at the alter and offer their sacrifices one by one. They are caught up in repetitive daily routines, their life burning away without meaning, but when they look up, clouds of incense float into the air, and a dance commences which burns with a noble spirit, enveloping all the senses, to resonate with the soul.

In a world that grinds us down, this is a ‘burnt offering’ for meaning, beauty and peace.

A Festival of Korean Dance 2024, including Kontemporary Korea, is supported by Korean Cultural Centre UK and Korea Arts Management Service, produced in partnership with The Place, The Lowry, Tramway, Dance City and Pavilion Dance South West.

Kontemporary Korea is a double bill of contrasting works, introducing one of Korea’s leading choreographers Cheol-in Jeong who creates virtuosic and emotive works as Melancholy DanceCompany, and audience favourite Sung Im Her, offering her high energy and engaging personality to another edition of A Festival of Korean Dance.

TOMORROWISNOWTODAYISYESTERDAY (TINTIY) BY SUNG IM HER

Sung Im Her’sTiNTiY looks at the impact of (social) media on society as it focuses on oversharing, over-saturation and the bombardment of information, reflecting the physiological effects of this on the physical body. The work plays with the fun aspects of challenges, memes, skits and all manner of ‘entertaining content’ that is shared on these platforms, but counters this with the realities behind the facade. These darker undertones include an unending multitude of opinions, alternative truths and conspiracy theories, which create confusion, anxiety and perpetuate the unease and precarity faced in society.

Performed on a stage, where the starkness of its raw form is highlighted with only designed lighting and club like sounds composed by musical duo Husk Husk filling the space, three dancers perform overly produced gestures, as they move between their independent selves, into a shared entanglement and back again, blurring the lines of their individual and collective identities.

FLIGHT BY MELANCHOLY DANCE COMPANY

Flight aims to express the human desire to soar towards goals through leaps and falls. This virtuosic duet portrays the process of overcoming the limits of human capability, which one cannot conquer alone, through a complete flight shared by two individuals.

The internationally acclaimed artistic duo Igor x Moreno, creators of BEAT, Idiot-Syncrasy and A Room For All Our Tomorrows present Karrasekare.

Karrasekare, the Sardinian word for Carnival, is inspired by pagan carnival traditions from Sardinia and the Basque Country. Raw and surprising, sweaty yet elegant, it explores the catharsis of communal rituals and traditions.

This dynamic and innovative performance takes us on a journey back to the roots of traditional rhythms that have been accompanying our dances for centuries. Karrasekare takes those rhythms and uses them to create something truly unique and fluid. Karrasekare unearths the queer in the pagan rituals that used to take place in the streets and squares and reimagines them inside a black box.

By challenging any sense of prudishness, Karrasekare captures the sense of chaos, community and catharsis experienced at folk festivals.

Kontemporary Korea is a double bill of contrasting works, introducing one of Korea’s leading choreographers Cheol-in Jeong who creates virtuosic and emotive works as Melancholy DanceCompany, and audience favourite Sung Im Her, offering her high energy and engaging personality to another edition of A Festival of Korean Dance.

TOMORROWISNOWTODAYISYESTERDAY (TINTIY) BY SUNG IM HER

Sung Im Her’sTiNTiY looks at the impact of (social) media on society as it focuses on oversharing, over-saturation and the bombardment of information, reflecting the physiological effects of this on the physical body. The work plays with the fun aspects of challenges, memes, skits and all manner of ‘entertaining content’ that is shared on these platforms, but counters this with the realities behind the facade. These darker undertones include an unending multitude of opinions, alternative truths and conspiracy theories, which create confusion, anxiety and perpetuate the unease and precarity faced in society.

Performed on a stage, where the starkness of its raw form is highlighted with only designed lighting and club like sounds composed by musical duo Husk Husk filling the space, three dancers perform overly produced gestures, as they move between their independent selves, into a shared entanglement and back again, blurring the lines of their individual and collective identities.

FLIGHT BY MELANCHOLY DANCE COMPANY

Flight aims to express the human desire to soar towards goals through leaps and falls. This virtuosic duet portrays the process of overcoming the limits of human capability, which one cannot conquer alone, through a complete flight shared by two individuals.

Kontemporary Korea is a double bill of contrasting works, introducing one of Korea’s leading choreographers Cheol-in Jeong who creates virtuosic and emotive works as Melancholy DanceCompany, and audience favourite Sung Im Her, offering her high energy and engaging personality to another edition of A Festival of Korean Dance.

TOMORROWISNOWTODAYISYESTERDAY (TINTIY) BY SUNG IM HER

Sung Im Her’sTiNTiY looks at the impact of (social) media on society as it focuses on oversharing, over-saturation and the bombardment of information, reflecting the physiological effects of this on the physical body. The work plays with the fun aspects of challenges, memes, skits and all manner of ‘entertaining content’ that is shared on these platforms, but counters this with the realities behind the facade. These darker undertones include an unending multitude of opinions, alternative truths and conspiracy theories, which create confusion, anxiety and perpetuate the unease and precarity faced in society.

Performed on a stage, where the starkness of its raw form is highlighted with only designed lighting and club like sounds composed by musical duo Husk Husk filling the space, three dancers perform overly produced gestures, as they move between their independent selves, into a shared entanglement and back again, blurring the lines of their individual and collective identities.

FLIGHT BY MELANCHOLY DANCE COMPANY

Flight aims to express the human desire to soar towards goals through leaps and falls. This virtuosic duet portrays the process of overcoming the limits of human capability, which one cannot conquer alone, through a complete flight shared by two individuals.

The internationally acclaimed artistic duo Igor x Moreno, creators of BEAT, Idiot-Syncrasy and A Room For All Our Tomorrows present Karrasekare.

Karrasekare, the Sardinian word for Carnival, is inspired by pagan carnival traditions from Sardinia and the Basque Country. Raw and surprising, sweaty yet elegant, it explores the catharsis of communal rituals and traditions.

This dynamic and innovative performance takes us on a journey back to the roots of traditional rhythms that have been accompanying our dances for centuries. Karrasekare takes those rhythms and uses them to create something truly unique and fluid. Karrasekare unearths the queer in the pagan rituals that used to take place in the streets and squares and reimagines them inside a black box.

By challenging any sense of prudishness, Karrasekare captures the sense of chaos, community and catharsis experienced at folk festivals.

The internationally acclaimed artistic duo Igor x Moreno, creators of BEAT, Idiot-Syncrasy and A Room For All Our Tomorrows present Karrasekare.

Karrasekare, the Sardinian word for Carnival, is inspired by pagan carnival traditions from Sardinia and the Basque Country. Raw and surprising, sweaty yet elegant, it explores the catharsis of communal rituals and traditions.

This dynamic and innovative performance takes us on a journey back to the roots of traditional rhythms that have been accompanying our dances for centuries. Karrasekare takes those rhythms and uses them to create something truly unique and fluid. Karrasekare unearths the queer in the pagan rituals that used to take place in the streets and squares and reimagines them inside a black box.

By challenging any sense of prudishness, Karrasekare captures the sense of chaos, community and catharsis experienced at folk festivals.

The internationally acclaimed artistic duo Igor x Moreno, creators of BEAT, Idiot-Syncrasy and A Room For All Our Tomorrows present Karrasekare.

Karrasekare, the Sardinian word for Carnival, is inspired by pagan carnival traditions from Sardinia and the Basque Country. Raw and surprising, sweaty yet elegant, it explores the catharsis of communal rituals and traditions.

This dynamic and innovative performance takes us on a journey back to the roots of traditional rhythms that have been accompanying our dances for centuries. Karrasekare takes those rhythms and uses them to create something truly unique and fluid. Karrasekare unearths the queer in the pagan rituals that used to take place in the streets and squares and reimagines them inside a black box.

By challenging any sense of prudishness, Karrasekare captures the sense of chaos, community and catharsis experienced at folk festivals.

The internationally acclaimed artistic duo Igor x Moreno, creators of BEAT, Idiot-Syncrasy and A Room For All Our Tomorrows present Karrasekare.

Karrasekare, the Sardinian word for Carnival, is inspired by pagan carnival traditions from Sardinia and the Basque Country. Raw and surprising, sweaty yet elegant, it explores the catharsis of communal rituals and traditions.

This dynamic and innovative performance takes us on a journey back to the roots of traditional rhythms that have been accompanying our dances for centuries. Karrasekare takes those rhythms and uses them to create something truly unique and fluid. Karrasekare unearths the queer in the pagan rituals that used to take place in the streets and squares and reimagines them inside a black box.

By challenging any sense of prudishness, Karrasekare captures the sense of chaos, community and catharsis experienced at folk festivals.

A take over of Croydon's Whitgift Shopping Centre by Requardt & Rosenberg

An audience assembles in Whitgift Shopping Centre, in the heart of Croydon. A woman with a yellow backpack takes the escalator, the assistant manager drops her keys, and the deputy head of accounts finds them. A couple argue about who did what to whom, and someone, somewhere starts to move.

A seemingly normal day starts to merge with a world of angels and demons, hope and pain.

Experience Whitgift Shopping Centre from a whole new perspective. Using headphones to connect to the soundtrack, audiences become a part of a surreal world that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance.

Super Normal Extra Natural is a new, community-based performance made with the people of Croydon, from the creators of experiential performances Future Cargo and DeadClub™. Dancers and singers are joined by Croydon locals to take over Whitgift Shopping Centre in this unique, intimate and constantly surprising dance spectacle.

Photo by Camilla Greenwell (2023)

A take over of Croydon's Whitgift Shopping Centre by Requardt & Rosenberg

An audience assembles in Whitgift Shopping Centre, in the heart of Croydon. A woman with a yellow backpack takes the escalator, the assistant manager drops her keys, and the deputy head of accounts finds them. A couple argue about who did what to whom, and someone, somewhere starts to move.

A seemingly normal day starts to merge with a world of angels and demons, hope and pain.

Experience Whitgift Shopping Centre from a whole new perspective. Using headphones to connect to the soundtrack, audiences become a part of a surreal world that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance.

Super Normal Extra Natural is a new, community-based performance made with the people of Croydon, from the creators of experiential performances Future Cargo and DeadClub™. Dancers and singers are joined by Croydon locals to take over Whitgift Shopping Centre in this unique, intimate and constantly surprising dance spectacle.

Photo by Camilla Greenwell (2023)

A take over of Croydon's Whitgift Shopping Centre by Requardt & Rosenberg

An audience assembles in Whitgift Shopping Centre, in the heart of Croydon. A woman with a yellow backpack takes the escalator, the assistant manager drops her keys, and the deputy head of accounts finds them. A couple argue about who did what to whom, and someone, somewhere starts to move.

A seemingly normal day starts to merge with a world of angels and demons, hope and pain.

Experience Whitgift Shopping Centre from a whole new perspective. Using headphones to connect to the soundtrack, audiences become a part of a surreal world that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance.

Super Normal Extra Natural is a new, community-based performance made with the people of Croydon, from the creators of experiential performances Future Cargo and DeadClub™. Dancers and singers are joined by Croydon locals to take over Whitgift Shopping Centre in this unique, intimate and constantly surprising dance spectacle.

Photo by Camilla Greenwell (2023)

A take over of Croydon's Whitgift Shopping Centre by Requardt & Rosenberg

An audience assembles in Whitgift Shopping Centre, in the heart of Croydon. A woman with a yellow backpack takes the escalator, the assistant manager drops her keys, and the deputy head of accounts finds them. A couple argue about who did what to whom, and someone, somewhere starts to move.

A seemingly normal day starts to merge with a world of angels and demons, hope and pain.

Experience Whitgift Shopping Centre from a whole new perspective. Using headphones to connect to the soundtrack, audiences become a part of a surreal world that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance.

Super Normal Extra Natural is a new, community-based performance made with the people of Croydon, from the creators of experiential performances Future Cargo and DeadClub™. Dancers and singers are joined by Croydon locals to take over Whitgift Shopping Centre in this unique, intimate and constantly surprising dance spectacle.

Photo by Camilla Greenwell (2023)

A take over of Croydon's Whitgift Shopping Centre by Requardt & Rosenberg

An audience assembles in Whitgift Shopping Centre, in the heart of Croydon. A woman with a yellow backpack takes the escalator, the assistant manager drops her keys, and the deputy head of accounts finds them. A couple argue about who did what to whom, and someone, somewhere starts to move.

A seemingly normal day starts to merge with a world of angels and demons, hope and pain.

Experience Whitgift Shopping Centre from a whole new perspective. Using headphones to connect to the soundtrack, audiences become a part of a surreal world that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance.

Super Normal Extra Natural is a new, community-based performance made with the people of Croydon, from the creators of experiential performances Future Cargo and DeadClub™. Dancers and singers are joined by Croydon locals to take over Whitgift Shopping Centre in this unique, intimate and constantly surprising dance spectacle.

Photo by Camilla Greenwell (2023)

A take over of Croydon's Whitgift Shopping Centre by Requardt & Rosenberg

An audience assembles in Whitgift Shopping Centre, in the heart of Croydon. A woman with a yellow backpack takes the escalator, the assistant manager drops her keys, and the deputy head of accounts finds them. A couple argue about who did what to whom, and someone, somewhere starts to move.

A seemingly normal day starts to merge with a world of angels and demons, hope and pain.

Experience Whitgift Shopping Centre from a whole new perspective. Using headphones to connect to the soundtrack, audiences become a part of a surreal world that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance.

Super Normal Extra Natural is a new, community-based performance made with the people of Croydon, from the creators of experiential performances Future Cargo and DeadClub™. Dancers and singers are joined by Croydon locals to take over Whitgift Shopping Centre in this unique, intimate and constantly surprising dance spectacle.

Photo by Camilla Greenwell (2023)

A take over of Croydon's Whitgift Shopping Centre by Requardt & Rosenberg

An audience assembles in Whitgift Shopping Centre, in the heart of Croydon. A woman with a yellow backpack takes the escalator, the assistant manager drops her keys, and the deputy head of accounts finds them. A couple argue about who did what to whom, and someone, somewhere starts to move.

A seemingly normal day starts to merge with a world of angels and demons, hope and pain.

Experience Whitgift Shopping Centre from a whole new perspective. Using headphones to connect to the soundtrack, audiences become a part of a surreal world that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance.

Super Normal Extra Natural is a new, community-based performance made with the people of Croydon, from the creators of experiential performances Future Cargo and DeadClub™. Dancers and singers are joined by Croydon locals to take over Whitgift Shopping Centre in this unique, intimate and constantly surprising dance spectacle.

Photo by Camilla Greenwell (2023)