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| Dancers at the Ballett Basel perform "Voice in the wind" directed by James Jeon, the Seoul Ballet Theatre's director. / Courtesy of the Seoul Ballet Theatre |
By Rachel Lee
Switzerland and Korea have become one on "moves."
To mark the 20th anniversary of Seoul Ballet Theatre, they worked with the Swiss Ballett Basel, which flew to Korea for a joint performance of "Moves" at the National Theatre of Korea on Oct. 1-2.
Seoul Ballet Theatre is one of the three major ballet companies in Korea along with the Universal Ballet and and the Korea National Ballet.
The Embassy of Switzerland and the Swiss Cultural Fund supported the event.
"We are proud to promote this exciting cultural exchange between these two acclaimed ballet companies under the leadership of choreographers James Jeon and Richard Wherlock," Swiss Ambassador to Korea Jorg Al. Reding said.
"I wish to extend my congratulations to the National Theatre of Korea and my best wishes for a wonderful evening to the audience."
Under the theme "East Meets West," the first act began with "Snip Shot," choreographed by Richard Wherlock, who leads the Swiss ballet company, for the Seoul Ballet Theatre, followed by "Voice in the wind" that was masterminded by the Korean ballet company's director, James Jeon, for the Ballett Basel.
In the second act, the Seoul Ballet Theatre presented Jeon's creation "Under the Moonlight." All featured classic and contemporary moves.
"Because I enjoy giving ballet a natural twist, working with the SBT dancers was an exciting experience, as even the slightest of their moves was enough to inspire me," Wherlock said.
Ballett Basel is a leading contemporary dance group in Europe and has an outstanding command of narrative and abstract ballet.
"Coupling the Ballett Basel's sophistication with Korean elements was an experience I won't forget," Jeon said. "The strengths of the two companies working together will create a fine synergy."
The companies have worked together since 2012, when a master class exchange project took place between the two choreographers.
"Moves" will also be staged in Switzerland at the Basel Theater in 2016.
