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The Lip Dance Company announced on the 31st that they will perform "VORTEX," a whirlwind of Korean dance created in collaboration with Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen, from June 24 to 26 at the National Theater's Haerum Theater. Photo by National Dance Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The National Dance Company announced on the 31st that it will perform 'VORTEX,' a whirlwind of Korean dance created in collaboration with Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen, from June 24 to 26 at the National Theater's Haeoreum Theater.

'VORTEX' premiered in early 2014 and attracted great attention as the first collaboration with a foreign choreographer in the 52 years since the National Dance Company was founded in 1962.

Additionally, it was selected as the first international guest performance at the Helsinki Dance House, Finland's first professional dance venue which opened in February, and will meet Finnish audiences this coming September.

The choreography of 'VORTEX' was created by Tero Saarinen, a leading Finnish choreographer. The premiere stage received critical acclaim and audience praise for its exotic yet profound movements derived from the archetype of traditional Korean dance. Since then, it has become a representative repertoire of the National Dance Company through three domestic performances, the 2015 Cannes Dance Festival in France, and the 2019 invitation performance at the Kanagawa Arts Theater in Japan.

Notably, the stage captivates attention with Erika Turunen's monotone costumes and Mikki Kuntu's mysterious lighting over a yellow dance floor that contrasts with the simple black background. The performance begins gently and gradually intensifies to depict the image of a vortex. The music, completed by Jang Youngkyu who shows a unique structural layering based on traditional music, is enlivened by live performances of gayageum (Park Soona), piri (Na Wonil), sori (Lee Seunghui), and haegeum (Cheon Jiyoon).

The work is composed of three acts. Five main characters?including 'Black,' 'White,' and the mediator of the two couples, the 'Shaman'?lead the flow of energy.

In this performance, the role of the 'Shaman' is double-cast with Park Gihwan and Song Seol. The female leads are double-cast with Kim Mia and Song Jiyoung, along with Park Hyeji, while the male leads are Hwang Yongcheon and Lee Seokjun. A total of 21 dancers, including newcomers Lee Taewoong and Lee Doyoon, will appear.

Choreographer Tero Saarinen said, "'VORTEX' Finland performance has been planned since the construction of the Helsinki Dance House. It is an honor to finally present this beloved work on the Finnish stage."

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