The 28th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance) is set to return from September 10 to 28, bringing together 38 dance works from 13 countries across major venues throughout Seoul. The festival will be held at prestigious locations including Namsan Gugakdang, Eunpyeong Culture Arts Center, and Daehakro Arts Theater, offering audiences a diverse range of contemporary dance performances.
Established in 1996 and organized by the Seoul section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO, SIDance has evolved into one of Korea's most prominent privately organized dance festivals. The event now stands alongside the Changmu International Performing Arts Festival as a leading cultural institution in the Korean dance scene, attracting both domestic and international attention.
This year's festival will feature a particularly bold thematic approach with a five-work series titled "Into the Raging Vortex," which directly addresses pressing social issues through dance. Artistic director Lee Jong-ho explained the motivation behind this socially conscious programming, noting that "Korean dance tends to be less engaged with social questions than other art forms or compared with dance scenes abroad."
"We feel our society is regressing into a fearful and dreadful past amid growing polarization and division," Lee Jong-ho added. "While we cannot claim to offer answers, we want to let artists' bodies and senses speak against destruction and fragmentation." This statement reflects the festival's commitment to using dance as a medium for social commentary and dialogue.
Among the festival's most anticipated performances is Harald Beharie's "Batty Bwoy," a powerful piece that confronts issues of identity and discrimination. The title itself references a Jamaican slur used against queer men, and the work explores the deep psychological impact of societal labeling and stigma through expressive dance. This critically acclaimed piece earned significant recognition by winning Norway's prestigious Hedda Award for Best Dance Performance in 2023.
The comprehensive program extends beyond the highlighted social theme series to include a diverse array of invited international and Korean performances, collaborative co-productions, and specially commissioned works. This programming approach ensures that the festival offers both thought-provoking social commentary and a broad spectrum of dance styles and cultural perspectives, making it accessible to varied audience interests while maintaining its artistic integrity.
