Seoul Metropolitan Ballet to debut with contemporary spin on 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet will debut “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from Aug. 23-25.

Choreographer and director Joo Jae-man will explore the Shakespeare comedy from the perspective of the fairy Puck. The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet will be the first in the world to reinterpret the piece as a contemporary ballet, according to the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

The US-based Joo -- who previously worked with American ballet companies like Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre -- is a Ballet Master and artist-in-residence at Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City.

The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet is the first contemporary ballet company in Korea and the third overall, after the Korean National Ballet in 1962 and the Gwangju City Ballet in 1976.

Following the August debut, the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet will present a double bill: Hans van Manen's Asian premiere of “Kammerballett” and Cha Jin-yeob’s new piece “Ritard Scendo.”

Van Manen is a master of contemporary ballet, known for refined simplicity, clear form and vivid costumes. Prima ballerina Kim Ji-young will return to the stage for the first time in 17 years for the performance.

“Ritard Scendo” -- a portmanteau of "ritardando" and "decrescendo," each meaning gradually slowing down and getting softer -- portrays the body as it pulls away from the frenetic pace of modern society, akin to diving underwater. Cha, one of the leading choreographers in the contemporary ballet scene, choreographed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.