Dancing Grandmothers
Eccentric star of South Korean dance, Eun-me Ahn invites young and old to a get-together, an exciting powwow that thumbs its nose at ageism. Exotic, delightful and extremely touching.
An eccentric star of the Asian dance scene, Eun-me Ahn is finally making her way to Canada, bringing an irresistible blast of gaiety to the Festival with Dancing Grandmothers. With the excitement of a powwow, this celebratory piece thumbs its nose at ageism.
A peasant, a hairdresser, a merchant, a pharmacist… and all venerable grandmothers. Camera in hand, the choreographer found them in the boondocks of South Korea and convinced them to rekindle the spark of joy inherent to dancing. A dozen of them move from the screen to the stage with nine young dancers of insolent agility and dynamism, creating a reconciliation of the generations orchestrated by techno music. Popular songs bring back the ardour of the 1960s. Asian kitsch explodes in comic strip sequences, loud colours and flashy costumes. As memories are shared, the present is reinvented in tenderness and sweetness. An exotic voyage, delightful and terribly touching. To be enjoyed with the whole family.
PRODUCED BY DOOSAN ART CENTER (SEOUL) + EUN-ME AHN COMPANY
CHOREOGRAPHY, DIRECTION, SET AND COSTUME DESIGN EUN-ME AHN
PERFORMED BY EUN-ME AHN + HYOSUB BAE + JIHYE HA + YOUNGMIN JUNG + HYEKYOUNG KIM + HYUNGKYUN KO + EISUL LEE + JESUNG LEE + HYUNWOO NAM + GRANDMOTHERS
MUSIC COMPOSED BY YOUNGGYU JANG
ARTISTIC CONSULTANT CHUN WOOYONG
LIGHTING DESIGN JANG JINYOUNG
VJ TAESEOK LEE
PRESENTED WITH THE SUPPORT OF UNIPRIX + ARTS COUNCIL KOREA
WRITTEN BY FABIENNE
TRANSLATED BY NEIL KROETSCH
PREMIERED AT DOOSAN ART CENTER, SEOUL, ON FEBRUARY 18, 2011
EUN-ME AHN | EUN-ME AHN COMPANY (Seoul)
Bold, Crazy and Poignant
Often compared to Pina Bausch, who was a friend and who often invited her as a guest performer, Eun-me Ahn shares with Pina tenderness for human beings and the desire to make theatre a place for encounter and celebration.
