BEMUT is a performance that introduces some of the most iconic choreographies of MUTDANCE company. The program presents recent and past works, based on the company's unique choreographic method. Depending on the context in which it is presented, the performance could include 3 or 4 different parts. Subsequently, the total duration is 110 minutes. BEMUT is executed by 14 all-female dancers, with recorded music.
Part 1.
Revealing Breath II (the foundation of creation)
original choreography by Kim Young-hee
As the title suggests, this work focuses on 'breathing', the life force behind
any movement. And is one of the most representative pieces in the repertory, revealing the unique dance qualities and nature of the company.
This choreography is based on the spirit of Buddhist ceremonial dance. Through a special training aimed at transforming mental intuitions into physical movements, the movement reveals to the audience the inner world of the dancer.
The foundation of creation begins from a lower level, where both body and
soul of dancers are relaxed. Through breathing the movement rises to a
middle level. Finally, the dance ascends to a higher level, generating spiral
movements, through which the inner power of the dancers is sent upwards
embracing the spirits of the universe.
Part 2
101%
choreography by Kim JungA
‘101%’ wants to express through the dance the embodiment of extreme passions and desires, represented by a vertical attraction towards an unreachable point in the sky. In this sense, the dance is loosely inspired by the Greek myth of Icarus, as he ascends towards the burning sun. Expressed in spatial concepts, the dancers gradually gather energy from the ground, through the soles of their feet, and knees, building energy within the body. Captured and concentrated mostly in the chest, the energy is then sent and dispersed in the space, through sequential patterns of dynamic movements.
Part 3
My Answer
original choreography by Kim Young-hee
A modernistic recreation of one of Kim Young-hee's early works, representing the artist's inner world in the form of a dance, inspired by the question "Why do we dance?" Although we have been dancing for a long time and have presented many performances on numerous stages, we continue to ask ourselves the same urgent question, as if it was the first time. It always seems that the answer is at hand, but each time the meaning eludes. And even in this moment in which we are dancing, we continue to search... My Answer tries to express the intimate and profound motivation of dancing, through the ever-changing movements of the dancers. The ivory dresses are made with traditional paper in order to create the feeling of worn-out Korean folk dresses.
Ms. Kim has been the artistic director of MUTDANCE since 2019, though her career in the discipline started with her debut in 1998 with her work. After that, she continued her artistic ambitions bringing her works to the festivals such as ‘18 Young Dancers Heading the 21st
Century’ and the SIDance Festival Little Asia Dance Exchange Network in 2002, touring in Tokyo, Seoul, Hongkong, Sydney, and Taipei.
She toured Asia more than 10 times throughout her career, and in 2005 she choreographed 'Gaze of the Shadows' at the Critics' Choice, in South Korea. In 2006, she continued her choreography work with her participation at the Festival of the Computer Music Remix of traditional German Music.
In 2012, while introducing her work 'The Moment' and
the 'Stop in Search' and performing Our Dance Colours at the SIDance Festival, she became interested in Buddhism and found an affinity to its doctrines.
Ms. Kim is a graduate of the prestigious Ewha Woman’s University in Korea where she received her bachelor, Master’s degrees and in 2019 obtained her Ph.D. in Korean modern dance and choreography. Her doctorate piece included the choreography work 'A moment without stopping and immortal life through the passage of time' and '101%'.
Both as the Group’s principal and as the artistic director, she creates new artistic content every year adding to the multiple pieces of work in the portfolio, showcasing the various genres and their meaningfulness as artistically expressed through the MUTDANCE. Just recently in June 2022, the Group was invited to the opening performance of the Italian International Dance Competition in Spoleto, Italy. At the event, Director Kim also participated as one of the panelists of judges at the competition.
