Four guest artists from South Korea will be featured in a world premiere by Dallas native Bridget L. Moore during the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) Spring Celebration Series May 20-22, 2016. The performances will take place at the Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District.
After spending two years as a visiting professor at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea, Moore is returning home to Dallas to present the work she choreographed for the South Korean dancers. The dancers Jieun Heo, Jiwoo Kim, Sang Joon Park, and Jungmin Yang are associated with Sungkyunkwan University as graduate students or alumni. This is the first trip to America for all but one of the dancers, who will be traveling with their translator Na-rae Sim.
When Ms. Moore first started as a professor at Sungkyunkwan, she had to learn to bridge the language barrier. Moore says having the opportunity to teach at Sungkyunkwan University and reside in Korea has been a wonderful experience.
“I arrived in Korea with an open mind and a deep respect for the culture and traditions. I am sensitive to the cultural differences here in Korea, and my students and I are full participants in the cultural exchange,” said Bridget L. Moore. “There is an understanding of respect and patience when interacting with each other. It has been a worthwhile journey, and we are all better because of it.”
Moore is a 1989 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts as well as a former teacher and artistic director of the World Dance Ensemble for the Arts Magnet. She is also a distinguished Princess Grace Foundation Choreography Fellowship Award recipient.
The Korean artists commented on working with Ms. Moore. “Her movement style is very different from traditional Korean dance. Fully understanding details that were given verbally was difficult because of the language barrier,” said Jiwoo Kim. “But, as time progressed, we have become much closer and understanding Bridget is much clearer. At times she speaks to us in English and we answer back in Korean, and we are all able to communicate and understand each other. We laugh a lot and it has been fun.”
Moore adds, “Students at Sungkyunkwan University are wonderful at assisting me with translating and communicating information. We use a multitude of resources to communicate, such as our body language and Google Translate. It has been a collaborative effort and we help each other to bridge the communication gaps when necessary.”
Jungmin Yang said, “As time progressed, it was more difficult than I anticipated and it took more effort to understand exactly what Bridget was asking of us. As I got to know her better, I started to pay more attention to what she would say through her eyes, gestures and facial expressions. I have learned a lot from this experience and have gained more knowledge because of it.”
The Korean dancers look forward to visiting Dallas.” I am so excited about visiting America for the first time. I am even more excited about performing on stage. Bridget told us, that Dallas is very artistic and a beautiful city, so I’m looking forward to it. I want to experience the culture, environment, and people in Dallas,” said Jieun Heo.
“I have traveled to Europe, but this will be my first time traveling to the United States of America. I am really excited. I have heard a lot about Texas, but I don’t know much about Dallas. I want to visit every significant place in Dallas,” said Sang Joon Park.
Ms. Moore choreographed BOUND for the South Korean ensemble.
It explores the boundaries of the human condition through dance and cultural exchange. BOUND makes its world premiere May 20-22, 2016, as a part of Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s Spring Celebration Series at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre.
The following are other works featured in DBDT Spring Celebration:
- The iconic RED by Bruce Wood® sends DBDT dancers into high gear with kinetic energy fueled by a pulsating violin score by PHILIP GLASS.
- Above & Below by DBDT II Artistic Director Nycole Ray makes its world premiere as well.
- OREMUS, by DBDT resident choreographer Richard A. Freeman-Carter, brings new meaning to “dancing on the table” as this contemporary dance unfolds on and around a massive table.
The Spring Celebration Series is by TACA. The choreography is sponsored by NorthPark Center and the guest artist is sponsored by Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.
The Crow Collection of Asian Art is celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month during May and is an outreach partner for the Spring Celebration Series. The DBDT performances are also a part of the 2016 Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family SOLUNA International Music and Arts Festival that will be held May 16 through June 5, 2016, in the Dallas Arts District. The Dallas Symphony, which is coordinating SOLUNA, is partnering with local arts organizations to bring international artistic talent to Dallas that will engage the local community in art and music.
Spring Celebration performances on Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, 2016, are at 7:30 p.m. These performances include DBDT ALL ACCESS. On Friday night there will be a Talkback with the Choreographers and on Saturday an On-stage Dance Celebration following the performances. DBDT ALL ACCESS events are included in evening ticket purchases only.
The Sunday matinee on May 22, 2016, starts at 2:30 p.m.
For details, visit www.DBDT.com or call 214-880-0202.
For group sales, call 214-871-2390.
About Dallas Black Dance Theatre:
Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams, the mission of Dallas Black Dance Theatre is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at its highest level of artistic excellence through performances and educational programs that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. With an ever-expanding national and global audience, the company employs a diverse, multi-ethnic troupe of dancers performing for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Located in the downtown Dallas Arts District, Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a nationally and internationally recognized professional modern dance company that engages the cross-cultural community through contemporary modern dance presented from the African-American experience. Over the course of its history, DBDT has performed on five continents and in 15 countries for 3.5 million arts patrons and 2.5 million students, grades K-12, and annually serves more than 100,000 people, including more than 20,000 youth.
