Today, we sent out the following press release announcing that Seoul-based Korea National Contemporary Dance Company has been selected to visit Boise and work with Trey on a new creation.
"BOISE, ID—In May 2012, Trey McIntyre Project (TMP) toured the Philippines, Vietnam, China and South Korea as part of DanceMotion USAsm, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State (ECA), produced by Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). As a part of that program, TMP was selected to participate in a pilot DanceMotion USAsm initiative: a U.S.-based residency for an Asian dance company, culminating in performances at BAM’s Next Wave Festival. Trey McIntyre was asked to select an Asian dance company from the many who interacted with TMP during its DanceMotion USAsm tour. After a return visit to South Korea, McIntyre announced the selection of Seoul-based Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC).
'I knew right away,' McIntyre said of why he chose KNCDC. 'When I watched in rehearsal, I could tell they had a real generosity of spirit and a way of being present and in the moment that is very similar to the way [TMP] works.'
Members of KNCDC will spend three weeks in TMP’s hometown of Boise, ID, working with McIntyre on a new ballet, which will see its world premiere in November at the BAM/Fishman Space in Brooklyn, NY.
As a separate TMP initiative in the spirit of furthering this cultural collaboration, the new work will be performed in Boise at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts; the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA; Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, UT; and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, IL.
The new work is co-commissioned by the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and is underwritten by Rob and Nancy Chimsky of Sonoma, CA.
Established in August 2010, KNCDC is the country’s first national ensemble dedicated to contemporary dance. Artistic Director Sung-yop Hong has identified several goals for the company: to encourage creative work by Korean choreographers; to popularize contemporary dance by creating access for regional and local communities; and to contribute to the global contemporary dance scene through international collaboration and partnership.
DanceMotion USAsm is a vibrant cultural diplomacy program that shares the rich dance culture of the United States with international audiences through performance and cultural exchange. DanceMotion USAsm is designed and funded by ECA and produced by BAM with additional support from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation."