London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Sung Im Her: Nutcrusher, at The Place

Wednesday 30 October 2019, 7:30pm
The Place | 17 Duke’s Road | London WC1H 9PY | Book tickets
Free post-show talk in The Place Cafe

Nutcrusher photo: Ok Sang-hhon
photo: Ok Sang-hoon

Starkly repetitive and energetic, Nutcrusher looks at sexual objectification and power by questioning how we relate to our bodies, how they are presented and re-presented, and how cultural context affects this.

Sung Im Her is interested in how her three identities of woman, performer and migrant intersect, especially in relation to the #metoo and #timesup movements that began in the west and had a huge impact in Korea.

The #metoo movement in Korea was severely repressed. When allegations/stories started to come to the surface, it had an explosive effect. The work is also informed by experiences of being looked at in unnerving and disempowering ways. With Nutcrusher, Sung Im Her draws our attention to the gaze, to how we look and what affect that may have.

This is a UK premiere.

Please Note: This performance contains semi-nudity.

Production Credits

Choreographer Sung Im Her
Dancers Chihiro Kawasaki, Martha Pasakopoulou, Sung-Im Her
Created with dancers Yen Ching-Lin and Martha Pasakopoulou
Music Jamie Hamilton
Dramaturg Philip Stanier
Original Lighting Design Patricia Roldan Polo
Producer (Korea) Eun Hae Yang
Producer (UK) Nikki Tomlinson

About Sung Im Her

Since 2012, Sung Im Her has created a number of remarkable touring works of her own; Philia, En-trance, Tuning alongside performing regularly with renowned companies Needcompany and Abattoir Fermé. Moving from Belgium to London in 2016, she was supported by Testbeds Catalyst, a year-long programme for midcareer artists where she developed ideas around global citizenship, borders and home. Her solo You Are Okay! (2017), which continues to tour, attracted co-production support from NRW Kultur Tanzrecherche in Bonn, Cocoon Dance, Seoul Arts Foundation, ACE, Korean Arts Council, Oost Vlaanderen, NRW Kultursekretariat Wuppertal. In 2018 she was commissioned by Counterpoint Arts to create Human Wall for Refugee Week at the V & A. This year, her trios Nutcrusher and W.A.Y (We Are You) are supported by the Korean Arts Council, both premiering in Seoul. Sung Im Her’s work is produced by Eun Hye Yang in Korea and by Nikki Tomlinson in the UK.

Commissioned by the Korean Arts Council, Nutcrusher premiered at ARKO, Seoul in January 2019.