In Changwon Special City, 'Opening Changwon's Future Through Dance' ... National Dance Festival Kicks Off

‘Changwon, the Northeast Asia Central City, Opens the Future with Dance’ The 32nd National Dance Festival, a festival of communication and harmony united through dance, spectacularly opened on the evening of the 5th at Seongsan Art Hall in Changwon, Gyeongnam.

The opening ceremony was graced by numerous cultural and artistic figures, including Jo Myeong-rae, 2nd Vice Mayor of Changwon Special City, Choi Man-rim, Vice Governor of Gyeongnam Province, Kim I-geun, Chairman of Changwon City Council, Jo Nam-gyu, Chairman of the Korea Dance Association, Jeong Byeong-guk, Chairman of the Korea Arts Council, Song Hyeong-jong, Senior Secretary for Culture of Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Shin Tae-su, Vice President of Gyeongnam Bank.

The opening ceremony of the 32nd National Dance Festival was held.

In his welcoming speech, Vice Mayor Jo said, “I am very pleased to host the 32nd National Dance Festival in Changwon, a city of dance and the center of Northeast Asia,” adding, “I hope that many talented dancers from not only Changwon but across the country will be discovered, providing an opportunity for Korean dance to expand globally.”

The opening ceremony featured performances by the National Ballet Company, Seoul City Dance Company, and Changwon City Dance Company, which were highly popular. The Changwon City Dance Company presented a performance themed ‘Muyeonjihyang.’ The National Ballet Company’s principal dancer Lee Jae-woo and demi-soloist Jo Yeon-jae performed the ‘Grand Pas de Deux’ from Don Quixote, receiving great applause. The Seoul City Dance Company captivated dance fans with ‘Ilmu,’ a performance that reimagined traditional ritual dance music with a modern sensibility.

The 32nd National Dance Festival will continue from the 6th to the 13th, featuring performances by dance companies representing 16 cities and provinces nationwide. The performances will be held at Seongsan Art Hall and the 3.15 Art Center, concluding with a closing ceremony on the 14th.

Changwon, the central city of Northeast Asia, is a city with a rich history of dance, having produced renowned dancers such as Kim Haerang, a master of Korean modern dance, as well as Lee Pil-i and Jeong Yang-ja.

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