[On Stage] 'Tense Suspense is the Highlight'... National Ballet of Korea's Kang Hyohyung New Work 'Hwal'

7 Female Dancers Express Overwhelming Power Impressively
"Hope You Can Intuitively Feel the Bow's Flexibility and Strength"
Debut at KNB Movement... On Stage at National Theater on 28th

The audience's reaction was as explosive as the energy at the moment the arrow, released from the tightly drawn bowstring, hit the target with a 'bang!' On July 1st at the CJ Towol Theater in the Seoul Arts Center, at the National Ballet of Korea (KNB)'s 'KNB Movement Series' performance, the applause and cheers erupted like thunder when the performance of 'Hwal' choreographed by KNB soloist Kang Hyo-hyung ended. KNB Movement is a performance where National Ballet dancers present new creative choreography. On that day, the National Ballet dancers showcased seven new works, and the audience's response to Hwal was outstanding.

Hwal will take the stage at the National Theater on the 28th. It is part of the Seoul International Ballet Festival's 'World Ballet Stars Gala,' hosted by the Korean Ballet Association. Park Jae-hong, president of the Korean Ballet Association, invited Hwal after watching the KNB Movement performance in July.

Hwal is a piece featuring seven female dancers displaying dynamic movements to intense percussion rhythms. The breathtaking tension continues throughout the 10-minute performance. The music, utilizing the creative percussion group 'Puri' and the percussion ensemble of the Gwanhyeonmangin Traditional Arts Troupe, gradually increases in volume and speed toward the end, heightening the tension. The dancers' movements maintain a vigorous and intense flow in sync with the escalating percussion rhythms until the very end. There is a resoluteness that seems to pour everything out.

National Ballet of Korea 'Hwal' Performance Scene [Photo by National Ballet of Korea]

Kang Hyo-hyung said he wanted to dynamically express the contrasting feelings evoked by the subject of the bow through the dancers' bodies. "A bow is very rigid but, conversely, it bends very flexibly under a certain force. Usually, flexibility means it can be bent easily, but a bow is not like that. To bend it a lot requires a lot of strength. The moment you release the pulling force, tremendous speed and power are generated in the opposite direction, sending the arrow flying. I felt that the bow is a material where these opposing sensations coexist, which made it attractive. I wanted to capture the tense tension when the bow is drawn, its flexibility, and the strong and solid image the bow as an object itself conveys in the work."

Kang Hyo-hyung has consistently presented new choreographies every year since 2015 with 'Yodongchida' in the KNB Movement series. The full-length original ballet 'Hoi Rang,' premiered by the National Ballet in 2019, was choreographed by Kang Hyo-hyung. The protagonist Rang in Hoi Rang is a filial daughter who disguises herself as a man and enlists in the military to replace her sick father. Although a woman, she endures the tough training like the men and becomes a hero who leads the war to victory. Given the subject, Hoi Rang features dynamic military dances by male dancers.

Hwal fills the stage with only female dancers, but the power and dynamism felt within seem to surpass the male dancers' military dances in Hoi Rang.

Kang Hyo-hyung hoped the audience could intuitively feel the power he wanted to show through Hwal. "I prefer intuitive things when watching or choreographing dance works. Rather than trying to understand with the head, I want the work itself to approach you. The formations of the dancers in the piece and each small movement are all composed to evoke the shape of the bow or the sensations and energy one can sense from the bow. I think these elements are most intuitively revealed at the very beginning and the very end of the piece. I hope the audience will look for the mise-en-sc?ne placed throughout."

The percussion rhythms that enhance the charm of the piece are music Kang Hyo-hyung has long been interested in and observed. He also used percussion rhythms in his first choreography, Yodongchida. "The essence of my choreographic works is ballet and Korean elements. I always listen to a lot of music to find the next choreography theme. Among Korean traditional music, I am especially fascinated and interested in percussion."

Kang Hyo-hyung explained that although he used the same percussion rhythms, Hwal differs from the abstract work Yodongchida, which does not depict specific images, because Hwal has concrete images he wants to portray. "From the movements and costumes reminiscent of warriors holding bows, to the large pathways of the dancers and even individual movements, I incorporated many bow-shaped movements. It is a meticulously calculated work designed to leave an impression on the audience's minds through movement and imagery without a clear story. In that sense, Hwal can be called a rational work."

National Ballet Company's 'Hwal' Performance Scene [Photo by National Ballet Company]

Among the seven dancers, the lead dancer who attracts attention with a particularly dynamic solo represents the final arrow. In the last scene, the lead dancer crosses the center of the stage and takes flight, expressing the arrow leaving the bowstring and flying toward the target.

During the July performance, Kang Hyo-hyung also participated as a dancer, but the lead role was performed by National Ballet principal dancer Park Seul-gi. Kang Hyo-hyung said he had no desire to take the lead role as a dancer. "The work itself is important. As a choreographer, I believe that to see the big picture and direct well, focusing entirely on the role of the choreographer rather than coveting the role of a dancer is the way to enhance the completeness of the work." He added, "The lead dancer had to be someone who possessed both flexibility and strength and, as the center of the work, had to be excellent in musical interpretation and expression. Park Seul-gi, the principal dancer, met those criteria."

When asked if he had any final words, Kang Hyo-hyung emphasized his identity as a choreographer. "I hope people will continue to pay attention to Kang Hyo-hyung as a choreographer in the future."

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