99 Art Company returns to the UK following 2024’s audience favourite Burnt Offering which won the Grand Prize at the 2024 Seoul Arts Awards, with a double-bill exploring the power of art to connect and drive change.
Abyss draws on the principles of traditional Korean dance and contemporary movement to explore ‘han’ — a deep, unspoken sense of sorrow and resilience. Through fluid, meditative choreography, the dancers move like a small boat carried by waves of joy and grief, inviting audiences to feel the full spectrum of human emotion.
In our modern world, time rushes by without a moment to mourn what is lost. Ekah is a duet between a female dancer and a male pianist which contemplates grief: when to resist and when to confront it. Choreographer Hye-rim Jang extends an invitation to take conscious pause together and hold our own ceremony of remembrance through music and dance.
This performance will be followed by a Post Show Talk facilitated by Christina Elliot, Head of Programming and Producing at The Place, with Korean to English language translation by Seh Hyun Rho.
Founded in 2014, 99 Art Company is a group of like-minded artists led by choreographer Hye-rim Jang, who focus on expressing Korean traditions through contemporary stories.
Since Hye-rim Jang was selected as Best Choreographer by Critics’ Choice in 2015, the company has participated in major platforms including the Seoul International Performing Arts Festival (2016, 2018, 2020) Italy’s Operaestate Festival (2019), the Russian Open Look Festival (2020), the Italian Cultural Institute (2021), the Brazilian SESC Dance Biennale (2021), and Singapore’s SIFA (2023). The company remains committed to meaningful artistic encounters, creating works that resonate deeply with audiences around the world.
Cast and creatives
99 Art Company
- Artistic Director: Hye-rim Jang
- Deputy Artistic Director: Seo-yi Jang
- Rehearsal Directo: Go-woon Lee
- Project Producer: Jean Uh
- Company Manager: Ji-won Choi
- Lighting Operator: Na-yeoung Hong
Abyss
- Dancers: Go-woon Lee, Hyo-young Song, Eun-yi Kim, Seo-yi Jang, Se-ryoung Choo, Seung-a Lee, Soo-kyung Lee
- Vocalist: Jin-sirl Suh
- Choreographer: Hye-rim Jang
- Writer: Joo-hee Lee
- Vocal Trainer & Chorus, Composer: Jin-sirl Suh
- Lighting Designer: Keon-young Kim
- Music Director & Arranger, Composer: Young-jo Leem
- Costume Designer: Kyoung-sul Bae
- Prop Design: Yu-jin Kim
- Music copyright: Jonsi & Alex ‘Howl’
Ekah
- Dancer: Hye-rim Jang
- Musician, Composer and Music Director: Daniel Kang
- Writer: Hye-rim Jang
- Costume Designer: Line Plant
- Prop Idea: Tae-yang Lee
Photo by Lee Dohee