Tero Saarinen was the first Western choreographer to create a piece for the Korean national dance group.
Saarinen was thrown directly into the deep end. The core competence of the Korean national dance troupe has nothing to do with Western contemporary dance. The language of movement based on thousands of years old dance tradition springs from samanistic rituals. The dancers of the national dance troupe only study traditional dances and techniques from an early age, and one and the same pieces can be performed for decades. It leaves a lasting impression on the dancer.
– Creativity is flourishing in the West, and new and new things are taught in dance classes. In traditional Korean dance, one piece can be learned and practiced for decades. The movement is slow and it starts with breathing. The method produces a different movement quality than contemporary dance, says Sohn.
He reminds us that a similar quality of movement cannot be created in Western countries. Sohn returns to the topic again and again in the interview.
– The quality of the movement is so special in my group that no Western dancer can expect it. Saarinen is like a student in that respect. We present what he wants to see, says Sohn.
\”The dancers were in shock at first\”
Korea’s national dance troupe has a similar purpose to ballet companies in Western countries: to cherish traditions. In Western countries, the tradition is only thousands of years shorter.
Saarinen’s appointment as guest choreographer was quite a change for the group.
– I wasn’t in the house at the time, but I heard afterwards that the dancers were in shock because it was the first western choreographer who came to make a new piece for the group, Sohn says with a smile.
At first, according to him, nothing could come of it.
– Maybe my dancers weren’t able to accept what Saarinen wanted from them at first, says Sohn.
Saarinen’s risk-taking paid off. The collaboration resulted in a dance piece, which has remained in the repertoire of the Korean national dance group. Sohn is the third artistic director of the group to bring the work to the fore again.
Saarinen’s first encounter with the national dance group was special.
– Without gilding the memories, the first meeting was quite special and of rare quality. I didn’t know much about the Korean dance tradition, says Saarinen.
He also refers to his role as the first Western choreographer in front of the group.
– There was already a certain density and concentration in the atmosphere. They have a long tradition of movement and the meaning of movement. And about what it can express. It came through the dancers’ bodies.
Saarinen talks about a \”handshake\” between new and old tradition. During the first weeks, he tried to understand the way the dancers move.
– There must be a genuine, genuine interest on both sides towards the culture and traditions that both parties represent. It’s about making a journey together, says Saarinen.
