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Art and Culture

And now it's time for our regular arts and culture segment with Michelle Kim. Today she has a dance performance that is set to show this weekend and an exhibition she would like to introduce to us.

Hello Michelle.

[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young

So what will you start us off with[Reporter : ] To start us off I went to watch a rehearsal of the performance, which was created by a living legend of dance in Korea, and it looks great. The show will be showing for the audience this weekend so let's take a sneak peek at it right now.

Legendary choreographer Kim Mae-ja celebrates her 60-year career in dance with her latest production, "Spring Days Go By", at the Arko Arts Theater later this month.
Kim is a pioneer in the field of dance in Korea and founded ChangMu Dance Company in 1976.
She is credited with being the first dancer in Korea to appear on stage in her bare feet, a convention of modern dance from the West that Kim adapted for her creations.
In fact, Kim is perhaps best known for merging traditional Korean and modern Western styles of dance and music to express her ideas.
She explained that it would have been impossible for her to do that without first knowing about traditional Korean dance styles.

[Interview : Kim Mae-ja, Choreographer] "Modernizing creative dance is impossible to do without knowing tradition. So we need to know and learn the structure of traditional dance and the sentiment of Korean society in order to create a dance that fits today's generation and society".

The show starts with an instrumental piece by an ensemble of musicians playing the song "Spring Days Go By" on the gayageum, geomungo and janggu as Kim drinks a cup of tea and talks about her life in dance.
The next two pieces feature the members of her ChangMu Dance Company, which today is an ensemble of 30 dancers.
The performance ends with a solo by Kim, as the song "Spring Days Go By" is sung by a single singer in the background.
At a rehearsal before the show at the Post Theater in western Seoul, Kim explained why the song is such an integral part of the production.

[Interview : Kim Mae-ja, Choreographer] "The song 'Spring Days Go By' conveys a message that makes us reminisce about the past and also gives us the hope that there is still a summer, fall and winter. The song gives me the hope that my dancing years are not over yet".

The performance will be at the Arko Arts Theater from December 14th to the 16th.
It's interesting the way she combines aspects of traditional Korean and contemporary modern dance. You went to the rehearsal what did you think about what you saw[Reporter : ] The thing that stood out to me was the movements. The pace of the dance was slow and the movements were not as big as other kinds of dance that I've seen, but they were really appropriate for expressing the Korean sentiment in all its joys and sorrows.

Sounds like a very moving performance. What are the dates again[Reporter : ] The performance will be held at the Arko Arts Theater from December 14th to the 16th. Kim Mae-ja is a legend of Korean dance, so you won't want to miss it.

I won't. And now moving on, what else do you have for us today[Reporter : ] Up next, I'm going to give you a preview of an exhibition on the only daughter of Korea's last emperor. She lived part of her life in Korea and part of it in Japan during the colonial period and the artifacts and personal belongings on display offer a window into her tragic life. Take a look.

A new exhibition commemorating the life of Princess Deokhye not only offers new insight into the tragic life of this member of the royal family but also offers a glimpse into her life in Japan during that country's colonization of Korea.
The exhibition, "Last Princess Deokhye", commemorates the 100th anniversary of her birth and the 50th anniversary of her return to her homeland after time spent abroad.
On display are 100 items that belonged to the princess, including clothing, letters and photographs -- some of which are being shown to the public for the first time.
Princess Deokhye lived a tragic life at a pivotal point in Korea's history.
She was the only daughter of Korea's last emperor, Gojong.
Her life was turned upside down after the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, when she was forced to move to Japan and marry a nobleman when she only 14 years old.
After giving birth to a daughter, Masae, the princess was diagnosed with schizophrenia and hospitalized and her marriage eventually ended in divorce.
The following year, Masae left a note hinting that she would soon commit suicide and then disappeared.
Princess Deokhye returned to Korea in 1962 after 38 years abroad.
She died in 1989.
The exhibition continues at the National Palace Museum of Korea until January 27th.

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Both of these events seem very interesting and educational. I feel like we can learn a lot about Korea through either one, or both.

[Reporter : ] Yes, I'd agree. The dance performance shows the juxtaposition of Korean traditions and contemporary choreography and the exhibition gives visitors a sliver of Korean history through the life of a single person.

Well, these two events are definitely worth seeking out. Thank you so much for your update. We'll see you back here with celebrity news tomorrow.

[Reporter : ] You're welcome. See you tomorrow.

DEC 11, 2012

Reporter : dainee@arirang.co.kr

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