Dance as prayer, 99 Art Company brings 'Burnt Offering' on European tour
Under a dim light, two dancers sit quietly on a large white canvas. They clasp one another's hand, still and meditative, while in their free hands they hold sticks of charcoal.
Moving in unison, the two begin to draw with gestures deliberate, rhythmic, almost sacred. As the movement repeats, their hair loosens, their breath grows heavier, and the charcoal begins to blur and smudge, leaving behind black traces that resemble sparks, flowers, then ashes. The performance feels like a ritual, or a ceremony in motion.
This is the opening scene of “Je: Burnt Offering,” an award-winning contemporary dance work by the traditional Korean dance company, 99 Art Company.
The piece begins its three-week European tour, spanning five countries and seven cities, in Andorra on Tuesday, marking the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Andorra. The production will then travel through Italy (Bari, Nov. 15 and Rome, Nov. 18), France (Paris, Nov. 21 and Thonon-les-Bains, Nov. 25), Belgium, Nov. 28-29 and Prague, Dec. 2.
“I wanted to create a dance of prayer,” said Jang Hye-rim, the company’s artistic director and choreographer. "While choreographing this work, I kept asking myself what a sincere prayer means in our time.”
The rhythms are rooted in "seungmu," or a traditional Korean Buddhist dance once performed by monks. Drawing on the "jangdan" (rhythmic cyles) and melodies of folk ritual, the piece also echoes the Old Testament notion of a burnt sacrifice suggested by its title.
Accompanied by live performances on gayageum and geomungo (traditional Korean string instruments), the 60-minute work pays homage to the dignity of labor and the sacredness found in daily life — to routines that may appear tedious, yet carry quiet endurance.
“To me, seungmu feels like a form of prayer, like a dance in which one completely lets go of the self,” Jang said. “As I developed that idea through movement and music, it became a meditation on labor and the meaning of genuine devotion.”
Throughout the performance, the perspiration, breath and shared energy become essential elements, embodying both toil and transcendence.
At one point, the dancers appear with safety helmets and headlamps. As the stage darkens, they resemble weary coal miners finishing a long day underground.
“Living life is like a continuous process of burning your time and energy down to ashes. It may feel wasteful, but there is a certain sublime beauty and sacredness in how people endure and persist through the repetition of work that may at first seem vain,” said Jang. “The work is my tribute to that perseverance — to the sweat, tears and effort of dancers, artists and all people at work.”
“Burnt Offering” premiered in 2016 as part of “Sweden Connection,” a collaboration between the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company and Skanes Dansteater, a contemporary dance company in Sweden. After three rounds of revisions, the current version was completed in 2023 and subsequently received the Seoul Arts Award, which recognizes outstanding works supported by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture.
Copyright © 코리아헤럴드. 무단전재 및 재배포 금지.