MODAFE, Spark Place #2

[Performance Introduction] MODAFE (International Contemporary Dance Festival), which has led the flow of contemporary dance in the Republic of Korea, has been opening new horizons for contemporary dance art for over 40 years. Moving beyond a simple arts festival, MODAFE has established itself as a prestigious dance festival that shares artworks from around the world and provides creative opportunities for artists, earning deep trust from both domestic and international artists. To date, through MODAFE, over 200 overseas organizations and approximately 440 domestic organizations have participated, with more than 1,300 works staged. The international networks and artistic solidarity built through the festival have grown MODAFE into a global platform that attracts choreographers and dance companies worldwide. Evolving every year into newer and more inclusive forms, MODAFE will celebrate its 45th edition in 2026. Under the theme "MODAFE Beyond Time, Beyond Dreams," it aims to share an artistic experience and a forum for international exchange that transcends the boundaries of time and dreams. Today, MODAFE seeks to continue its growth as a global festival and promote the diverse artistic values and meanings of contemporary dance, serving as a platform where various nations and artists share their creative worlds and expand the field of artistic communication beyond boundaries. Work Introduction Jo Jun-hong <The happening> Choreographer Introduction Choreographer Jo Jun-hong explores contemporary sensibilities through movements that arise from the state of the body and within relationships. He continues work that translates human attitudes and survival methods, revealed through small cracks in daily life and repetitive movements, into the language of the body. Work Description In relationships and choices, I have often faltered and made mistakes. However, those slips occurred not because I was stationary, but because I was constantly moving. <The happening> deals with the state of a body that attempts to keep acting without stopping, even when it falters. Choreography and Performance: Jo Jun-hong Duration: 10 minutes Lee Jeong-eun <Not to Do> Choreographer Introduction Lee Jeong-eun is a choreographer and dancer who explores the states in which the body is placed and the attitudes revealed within them through intuitive imagery and bodily language. Her work focuses on the tension and sensation just before the body reacts, and the physical states formed in between. Rather than narrative explanation, she leads the audience to experience the work sensorially through the body's immediate reactions and visual impressions. Work Description <Not to Do> begins from the modern state of a female dancer in her 30s, standing before the realistic crossroads of childbirth and career. Rather than rushing to a conclusion amidst the demand to choose one, the work explores the attitude of a body that tries to live through the time in between and continue moving and reacting. Choreography: Lee Jeong-eun Performance: Lee Jeong-eun, Han Yun-ju Duration: 10 minutes Yoo Ha-eun <My Gravity Story> Choreographer Introduction Choreographer Yoo Ha-eun prefers simple yet weighted movements and unadorned, natural bodily states over flashy techniques. Through a method of translating narratives originating from personal experiences into the senses of the body, she aims for direct and sincere communication with the audience. Work Description As relationships deepen, the presence of others is felt as a weight. Even when trying to forget feelings of disappointment or skepticism, the body already remembers the weight of others. The sensations of contact are not forgotten, and although one tries to keep a distance, complete disconnection does not exist. This attraction is not a choice, but an instinctive force that functions like survival. Choreography: Yoo Ha-eun Performance: Yoo Ha-eun, Jeong Jong-ung, Choi Jin-sol Costume: Choi In-sook Composition: Kim Ji-san Duration: 13 minutes Kim Young-ung <BABALIMAN> Choreographer Introduction Choreographer Kim Young-ung is an artist who explores the world through experience, builds a unique worldview, and expresses it through art. Centering on "love" and "art," he seeks to capture human life and emotions within his works. Through this, he aims to communicate emotionally with the audience and connect with the world through art. Work Description <BABALIMAN> refers to lives that have not reached society's standards, but this work looks at the continuity of bodies that live through a day to its end. Within the cycle of repetitive time, days lived while protecting one another continue, and at the end of it, we carry on with life. Choreography and Performance: Kim Young-ung Duration: 12 minutes Organization Introduction The Korea Contemporary Dance Association promotes the creative activities of artists and works toward the qualitative improvement and advancement of interests in Korean contemporary dance through international cultural exchange. To achieve this, the association conducts projects to communicate with the public and various generations, as well as artists. Major projects include the international contemporary dance festival "MODAFE," the choreographer and dancer matching project "Saengsaeng Dance Festival," the young artist nurturing project "New Debut," the "Korea Contemporary Dance Competition" which discovers promising dancers, and the "Contemporary Dance Night" which honors the contributions of artists who have contributed to the development of the Korean contemporary dance scene. The association will continue to strive to find and explore diverse and new operational methods to ensure the continuous development of projects with historical significance, and aims to contribute to the continuous creative activities of artists and the expansion of the cultural enjoyment rights of the general public.