Jeongdong Theater Troupe Launches in March, First Performance with 'Sinawi, Mong'

Jeongdong Theater Arts Troupe_Performance Team

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Jeongdong Theater announced on the 24th that it will officially launch the Jeongdong Theater Arts Troupe in March.

The Jeongdong Theater Arts Troupe had announced its formation along with its first regular performance in May last year, but postponed the official inauguration ceremony due to the spread of COVID-19. After more than a year of waiting, the official inauguration ceremony will be held in March, and the troupe will begin activities as an arts troupe affiliated with Jeongdong Theater, a national public theater under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The Jeongdong Theater Arts Troupe will carry out performances that revisit the modern value of tradition through the ‘Regular Performance Series’ and present the ‘Creative Platform Series’ to maximize the troupe’s creative capabilities. Additionally, through traditional performing arts activities, it plans to promote Korea’s unique beauty in the international community and contribute to the value of public art through active domestic tour performances.

Concept photo of 'Sinawi, Mong'.

Along with the official inauguration ceremony, the Jeongdong Theater Arts Troupe will stage its inaugural performance and first regular performance, Sinawi, Mong (Dream), on the Jeongdong Theater stage from March 23 to 28. Sinawi, Mong was originally scheduled to open in May last year with the launch of the troupe, but due to the impact of COVID-19, it was postponed twice (September 2020 and 2021) and will finally premiere after about a year.

This work carries the subtitle ‘A Gut Ritual of the Living to Live a Life Without Regrets.’ ‘Sinawi’ is a traditional music style rooted in shamanistic music, referring to an instrumental ensemble piece composed of improvisational melodies without fixed tunes. This work takes the improvisation and harmony inherent in Sinawi as symbolic themes and depicts the process of ‘healing’ through the dancers’ movements, music, and video.

Sinawi, Mong centers on modern people and the living trapped in repetitive daily lives planned out due to anxiety about the future. The performance follows the process in which a shaman (Shinbang: a shaman in shamanistic terminology) conducts a ritual of consolation (wimu) for those who experience frustration and despair under the weight of patterned life and live in the present carrying anxiety about the distant future.

In this process, the dancers’ original and sophisticated movements, combined with the visual beauty and music, visualize the unique charm of Sinawi, finding harmony within discord and gradually completing as one. The work aims to reach healing through Sinawi and convey its message through empathy.

Kim Hee-cheol, CEO of Jeongdong Theater, stated, “The Jeongdong Theater Arts Troupe has long communicated with the most diverse audiences, both domestic and international, through traditional regular performances,” adding, “Building on that experience of communication, we will develop a new stage for traditional arts by enhancing our artistic skills and creative capabilities.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.