SIDance 2021 goes hybrid, featuring 77 works

Poster for the 24th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance Organizing Committee)

The 24th Seoul International Dance Festival is taking place through Nov. 14 at various venues around Seoul, featuring 77 dance works of diverse genres by choreographers and dance companies from 14 countries. The performances will be held both online and offline.

The SIDance festival, organized by the Seoul Section of the UNESCO International Dance Council, kicked off Saturday with dance show “The Object,” presented by the Daegu Arts Center and Gyeonggi Arts Center.

This year sees the return of overseas artists for onstage performances. Though the festival could not invite large dance troupes due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, individual artists are to present eight dance works. 

Belgian choreographer Thi-Mai Nguyen’s “Etna” (SIDance Organizing Committee)

Also this year, the festival highlights dance performances from the Benelux Union -- Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Belgian choreographer Thi-Mai Nguyen will present “Etna” at Oil Tank Culture Park in western Seoul on Saturday and Sunday. Other works by artists from the Benelux Union will be shown online. 

Dancer Kim Su-jeong’s “Querencia” (Lior Horesh/SIDance Organizing Committee)

Dancer Kim Su-jeong, a member of the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel, will present “Infection” and “Querencia” at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 27.

For the festival, dancer Kwon Hyuk has teamed up with Singaporean dancer Adele Goh, for “A Time Within Time.” The recorded performance will be screened at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 29.

Meanwhile, Spanish dancer Lali Ayguade is to visit Korea, presenting “Gizaki” (Human Beings), “Incognito” and “Underneath” at the Seoul Arts Center on Nov. 5.

Twenty-eight shows will be shown online through the SIDance YouTube channel and Naver TV.

The SIDance festival was established in 1998 during the 13th International Dance Council World Congress in Seoul to expand the local dance scene and introduce Korean dancers abroad.

Since 2018, SIDance has been focusing on themes including refugees and violence. It went online last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Im Eun-byel(silverstar@heraldcorp.com)