K-Content News
[INTERVIEW] Migrant workers' lives explored in dance performance, 'A Seventh Man'
- June 02, 2021
[INTERVIEW] Migrant workers' lives explored in dance performance,
'A Seventh Man'
Updated : 2021-06-02 09:47
By Park Ji-won
"A Seventh Man," a dance piece by choreographer Jung Young-doo dealing with migrant workers, will be performed again, 11 years following its creation in 2010.
The work, inspired by the book with the same title, "A Seventh Man," (1975) a book by John Berger and Jean Mohr about the lives of migrant workers in Europe, explores the movements of people and their emotions working and living in other parts of the world.
Starting with the cleansing process of a gut, a shamanic ritual in Korea, 10 performers aim to show both the struggles and the hopes of people who were forced to leave their homes for various reasons throughout the 80-minute performance.
It premiered at LG Arts Center in 2010 and was selected among six best dance performances in the same year. This year, it will be performed in three different places: LG Arts Center (June 4-5), Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center (June 11-12) and Guri Arts Hall (June 18-19).
"I was very young and tried to point out the tough reality of migrant workers in 2010. So I focused on including movements that show their agony and suffering in the previous version. But I realized that migration isn't necessarily only about pain or hardships. It also includes the joy of dreams coming true. I tried to express more about this kind of happiness with this new version," Jung said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
"The work deals with migrant workers first and foremost, but the choreography can be applied to anyone ― regardless of nationality ― who might be dreaming of leaving their country, as the film 'Minari' depicted, or anyone who was forced to leave their homeland or is thinking of leaving the place in which they currently live as they are being hurt by that society and others. Also, there are many who live without knowing their identities… There are many Koreans who left Korea, as early as the 1800s, as well as Mexican immigrants who are trying to enter the United States currently. My work, however, is not dealing with one specific case, but rather tries to talk about the subject in a general matter."
In particular, he said he focuses on the power of the bodies of manual laborers, which is a source of pride and income as well.
"The power of migrant workers is based on their bodies. They have to rely on their bodies to do manual labor. Their bodies are not something they feel desperate about, but rather, they are a source of joy and pride."
Jung developed the choreography based on his previous research into migrant workers. He and his crew used to visit fields where many migrant workers worked and learned about their lives. This time, he invited a few of them to the performance, attended lectures about them, and read reports about migrant workers to study their situations.
To maximize the drama of the choreography, Jung changed some scenes and introduced new music and more stage sets, which didn't exist in the 2010 version of the performance.
The work used to employ classical music, but this time, Korean popular songs, which can be nostalgic to many, were introduced, such as, "If we go to LA," composed by Gil Yun-ok, and "Where I am going," an adaptation of Tish Hinojosa's "Donde Voy," sang by Sim Soo-bong.
In the previous iteration, the piece just used printed images for the set. But his time, a big container and other sets will be used as backdrops.
However, Jung stressed that he is not trying to offer any conclusions about specific incidents or give any solution to particular issues. But rather, he is simply offering a glimpse into their lives in the form of art, which can be more effective in changing the reality.
"To some extent, I don't dare to express the life of migrant workers. But I think the existence of this kind of performance can be in some ways a solution, or change the reality … I think everyone who questions the meaning of life and looks for home or love is pretty much the same as the migrant workers in my piece. I hope they can enjoy this work and feel comforted by watching the emotions expressed in their dance movements.
"A Seventh Man," a dance piece by choreographer Jung Young-doo dealing with migrant workers, will be performed again, 11 years following its creation in 2010.
The work, inspired by the book with the same title, "A Seventh Man," (1975) a book by John Berger and Jean Mohr about the lives of migrant workers in Europe, explores the movements of people and their emotions working and living in other parts of the world.
Starting with the cleansing process of a gut, a shamanic ritual in Korea, 10 performers aim to show both the struggles and the hopes of people who were forced to leave their homes for various reasons throughout the 80-minute performance.
It premiered at LG Arts Center in 2010 and was selected among six best dance performances in the same year. This year, it will be performed in three different places: LG Arts Center (June 4-5), Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center (June 11-12) and Guri Arts Hall (June 18-19).
"I was very young and tried to point out the tough reality of migrant workers in 2010. So I focused on including movements that show their agony and suffering in the previous version. But I realized that migration isn't necessarily only about pain or hardships. It also includes the joy of dreams coming true. I tried to express more about this kind of happiness with this new version," Jung said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
"The work deals with migrant workers first and foremost, but the choreography can be applied to anyone ― regardless of nationality ― who might be dreaming of leaving their country, as the film 'Minari' depicted, or anyone who was forced to leave their homeland or is thinking of leaving the place in which they currently live as they are being hurt by that society and others. Also, there are many who live without knowing their identities… There are many Koreans who left Korea, as early as the 1800s, as well as Mexican immigrants who are trying to enter the United States currently. My work, however, is not dealing with one specific case, but rather tries to talk about the subject in a general matter."
In particular, he said he focuses on the power of the bodies of manual laborers, which is a source of pride and income as well.
"The power of migrant workers is based on their bodies. They have to rely on their bodies to do manual labor. Their bodies are not something they feel desperate about, but rather, they are a source of joy and pride."
Jung developed the choreography based on his previous research into migrant workers. He and his crew used to visit fields where many migrant workers worked and learned about their lives. This time, he invited a few of them to the performance, attended lectures about them, and read reports about migrant workers to study their situations.
To maximize the drama of the choreography, Jung changed some scenes and introduced new music and more stage sets, which didn't exist in the 2010 version of the performance.
The work used to employ classical music, but this time, Korean popular songs, which can be nostalgic to many, were introduced, such as, "If we go to LA," composed by Gil Yun-ok, and "Where I am going," an adaptation of Tish Hinojosa's "Donde Voy," sang by Sim Soo-bong.
In the previous iteration, the piece just used printed images for the set. But his time, a big container and other sets will be used as backdrops.
However, Jung stressed that he is not trying to offer any conclusions about specific incidents or give any solution to particular issues. But rather, he is simply offering a glimpse into their lives in the form of art, which can be more effective in changing the reality.
"To some extent, I don't dare to express the life of migrant workers. But I think the existence of this kind of performance can be in some ways a solution, or change the reality … I think everyone who questions the meaning of life and looks for home or love is pretty much the same as the migrant workers in my piece. I hope they can enjoy this work and feel comforted by watching the emotions expressed in their dance movements.
Reporter : jwpark@koreatimes.co.kr
