Prof. Jo Juhyun of School Dance Attains the Best Work at the 2024 Korean Association of Dance Critics and Researchers Awards

A choreography titled “Ballet X Sujecheon” by Prof. Jo Juhyun of the School of Dance was awarded the Best Work at the 2024 Korean Association of Dance Critics and Researchers Awards (KADCRA).

The KADCRA acknowledged Prof. Jo’s choreography as a stage work where Korean sound and Western ballet coexist. It was also praised for its concise yet elaborate artistic beauty conveyed by a harmony of the two on the common aesthetic ground of regulation, principle, nobility, elegance, and class.

“Ballet X Sujecheon” is a crossover performance integrating gugak and ballet. It consists of three parts: “Ballet Jungjae (royal court dance),” “Ballet Fantasy,” and “Ballet Binari (prayer song).” Beginning with a male pansori master’s singing of Sujecheon, known as melodies from heaven, “Ballet Jungjae” is a perfect blend of Eastern and Western classical music.

“Ballet Fantasy,” which follows, tells the tale of a fairy who descends from Bugaksan Mountain to Gyeongbokgung Palace with ballet, Taepyeongga (Song of the Great Peace), and Chimhyangmu performance. A goblin dance presented along with powerful gayageum playing in Chimhyangmu makes the stage even more fantastic.

Finally, in “Ballet Binari,” contemporary creative ballet is presented with the sounds of saenghwang, a chord wind instrument, and danso, a woodwind instrument, together with rhythms of samulnori-jangdan. When this combination exudes youthful energy and the performances reach their peak, Binari sings prayers wishing for the audience’s peace.