Festival Provides Gateway for 400 Emerging Dancers with Distinct Styles

Chae Hee-wan, a renowned figure in Korean traditional dance, views "proper living as dancing." He sees dance as the "mother of arts" and laments the near extinction of dance departments in Busan, a region once considered a stronghold of Korean dance. "The demise of higher education institutions for dance is an act that dries up the source of education for our dance and our arts," he stated.

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Proper living is dancing.

To counter this trend, Chae established the 'Young and Blue Dancers Festival' in 1995. Initially for Busan's emerging dancers, it expanded to the Yeongnam region in 2018 and then to Seoul and Gyeonggi three years ago. The festival selects experimental and artistically driven works from recent university graduates, aiming to improve dance education and foster the future of dance in Busan and the Yeongnam region.

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Dance is the mother of arts. The demise of higher education institutions for dance is an act that dries up the source of education for our dance and our arts.

Over its 30-year history, the festival has showcased approximately 380 works and nurtured nearly 400 dancers. Many alumni, including Kim Jong-deok, artistic director of the National Dance Company of Korea, and Park Sang-yong, a professor at Pusan National University's dance department, have become central figures in the Korean dance scene. Chae believes the festival's significant contribution lies in affirming that regional dance is the foundation of Korean dance and that a beautiful society precedes beautiful art.

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We wanted to provide a gateway for new dancers with distinct personalities who would vigorously build their own dance worlds.

Chae's new book, 'Aesthetic Creation of Korean Dance,' draws from his festival speeches and writings. He defines dance as "life elevated" and emphasizes the unique aesthetics of Korean dance, such as the inseparable link between music and movement and the 'stillness within motion' (jeongjungdong). He notes that the profound depth of a dancer's experience, particularly in older dancers, cannot be replicated by younger performers. Chae highlights Wonhyo's 'Mugae Gamuhaeng' as the pinnacle of Korean traditional dance, embodying spirituality and sacredness within everyday life.

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Regional dance is the foundation of Korean dance.