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Members of Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater perform a scene from "Confrontation" at Incheon Culture and Arts Center in Incheon in November 2022. Courtesy of Incheon Metropolitan City |
Performance anticipated to expand K-pop's global recognition
By Ko Dong-hwan
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The official poster for a performance by Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater at Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 13 / Courtesy of Incheon Metropolitan City |
Led by Art Director Yun Sung-joo, the Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater will perform at Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt on Sept. 13. Incheon Metropolitan City said the dance troupe was invited by the German city.
Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Frankfurt are taking part in the Incheon dance troupe's latest diplomatic tour. The Incheon city authority said the three groups have begun preparing for the trip and the performance commemorating anniversary.
The performance will consist of different genres and styles of dance fused with Korean traditional instruments. The titles of the 10 different chapters of the performance include: Landscape of Korean Traditional Arts; Age of Prosperous Tranquility; Integrity; Fan Dance; Four Dharani; Heavenly Flowers; Confrontation; "Jang-gu" Jubilee; and Shaman Dance.
The Incheon dance theater and the Korean foreign affairs ministry have been jointly hosting the annual performance in Frankfurt for the past five years to celebrate the diplomatic ties. During that period, the dance troupe solidified its position as Incheon's representative art troupe on the international stage, according to the city government.
The troupe's recent performances have helped the city government promote its international image.
Yun said she was thrilled to present her troupe to German audiences especially at the time when Korean culture and arts are receiving growing worldwide interest.
"Our performance will hopefully become the foundation for the two countries to strengthen their diplomatic ties further," Yoon said.
The troupe was founded in 1981 to preserve and promote Korean traditional dance. Incorporating elements of both traditional and modern dance, the troupe holds three performances each year, while hosting special performances overseas on a number of occasions.
Korea and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1883, when the Joseon Dynasty (1392―1910) signed a treaty with the German Empire. The city governments of Incheon and Frankfurt signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2022 to improve ties. The upcoming performance by the Incheon dance troupe is part of that MOU.