WINNERS GALLERY

‘Ilmu’ of the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company is a contemporary reinterpretation of the royal ancestral ritual music in the Jongmyo Shrine (Jongmyo Jeryeak), which is designated as the first National Intangible Cultural Heritage and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This large-scale ensemble dance performed by over 50 dancers has been receiving acclaim by highlighting the motion in stillness, the unique feature of Korean dance.

‘Ilmu’ is the performance ‘produced’ by Sejong Center itself claiming to be a world-class content production theater leading the contemporary performing arts. During its premiere in May 2022, it was notably performed four times in the Grand Theater, achieving a 75% occupancy rate, which is exceptional for Korean dance. Last year’s encore performances were also highly successful, with three out of four shows sold out and occupancy rates reaching 90.6%, with 80.2% paid occupancy.

Following its premiere and encore performances, ‘Ilmu’ further enhanced its reputation and was showcased at the Lincoln Center in New York for three days from July 20^th to 22^nd.
The New York Times extolled it in a special feature article ‘Modern Transformation of Korean Dance’ on July 16^th last year, stating, “It demonstrates a dialectical harmony and proliferation between tradition and modernity.“ Furthermore, ‘Ilmu’ by the Sejong Center is scheduled to meet audiences in the Grand Theater once again from May 16^th to 19^th.