Abyss & Ekah by 99 Art Company
Abyss & Ekah by 99 Art Company
WED 13 MAY 19:30 | The Place
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 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.
- ★★★★★“An outstandingly beautiful, soulful, hypnotic performance... a truly incredible piece.” (Green Room Review on Burnt Offering (2024))
About the company:
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.
IG: @99artcompany
Credits:
Abyss
Artistic Director & Choreographer: Hye-rim Jang
Dancers and Singers: Go-woon Lee, Hyo-young Song, Eunyi Kim, Seoyi Jang, Ser-young Choo, Seung-A Lee, Soo-kyung Lee
Writer: Joo-hee Lee
Vocalist: Jin-sirl Suh
Project Producer: Jean Uh
Rehearsal Director: Seo-yi Jang
Vocal Trainer & Chorus, Composer: Jin-sirl Suh
Lighting Designer: Keon-young Kim
Music Director & Arranger: Young-jo Leem
Costume Designer: Kyoung-sul Bae
Prop Design: Yu-jin Kim
Music copyright: Jonsi & Alex ‘Howl’
Ekah
Dancers & Singers: Eun-yi Kim, Seo-yi Jan
Dancer: Ser-young Choo
Choreographer: Hye-rim Jang
Co-choreographer: Seo-yi Jang
Musician and Composer: Daniel Kang
Costume: Line Plant
Age: 11+
Duration: Abyss is 35 mins, followed by an interval, and Ekah is 23 mins
