From Deseret News archives:
Korean dancers to share art
As the semesters went by, however, she found herself thinking about how cultures can connect through art. She saw a performance by the University of Utah's Utah Ballet. She was impressed. She also found herself wishing that more Utahns could see traditional Korean dance.
One day she went to the office of Carol Iwasaki, who heads the U.'s ballet program, and said she would like to help arrange a cultural exchange between Kyung Hee University's dance department and the U.'s dance department. Iwasaki thought it was a grand idea.
Iwasaki went to Greg Geilmann, director of Kingsbury Hall, who said he would love to see Korean dancers perform in Utah. So it is that 33 dance students and teachers will arrive from Seoul this weekend to take part in an educational exchange and to dance for the public on Thursday night.
Recently, in her office in the dance building, Iwasaki and fellow dancer Nicholas Smith watched a DVD of a performance by Kyung Hee University students. (Smith is the event coordinator for the U.'s ballet department and also dances with Ballet West.)
Watching yet another dance, Iwasaki was struck by the way the women moved their hands. Smith said, "It is almost like they are dancing in water." Said Iwasaki, "Exactly." She added that she often tells her students to dance as though they are being resisted by water.
As they watched the Koreans dance, Iwasaki and Smith became increasingly animated about putting the Utah students and the Korean students in the same classes. They will have people on hand to translate the language, Smith said, but the body has a language all its own. He knows the dancers will be able to learn from each other, and also make each other laugh, and get to know each other, just by dancing.
Iwasaki said there is a lot involved in hosting 33 people, including hiring a local Korean restaurant to cater one Korean meal a day. The dancers were worried about being able to fuel their bodies with familiar food.
Next spring, if they can get a few more donations, U. students will go to Seoul. It is all in keeping with U. President Michael Young's goals of making the U. more international, Iwasaki notes.
Comments
- Afghan gov't: anti-corruption squad 7:46 a.m.
- Edward Woodward dies at 79 7:40 a.m.
- Obama: Uncensored society healthy 7:34 a.m.
- NASA fuels space shuttle for liftoff 7:29 a.m.
- Jail for Gitmo inmates to be inspected 7:19 a.m.
- Retail sales rise 1.4 percent 7:11 a.m.
- GM reports $1.2B loss 7:03 a.m.
- Lakers booed at home in loss 12:53 a.m.
- Big games keep UHSAA coffers full 12:51 a.m.
- TCU stuck at fourth in BCS 12:50 a.m.
- BYU happy to escape with victory
231 - TCU creams U.
225 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
207 - Will state consider gay rights law?
149 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
131 - RSL heads to MLS title game
126 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - Celtics crush Jazz
104 - TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
101 - 3A: Hurricane advances to title game
88
Singer Thurl "Big T" Bailey, formerly of the Utah Jazz, will perform a...
Here's why the GOP Moderat's HIDE from Healthcare Reform, until 2010 passes....
That's so old I fell off my dinosaur (A.K.A. a Utah Senator) laughing.
Yeah like the PAC 10 wants a school that loses to IDAHO and the Baptists in...
That's a "glass half empty" title to your article, considering all that this...
Exactly. We have the rights as Utahns to pollute at will & let poor people...
Spot minutes and limited playing time are hard times to show yourself, the...
Whats up with article saying Koufous didn't play in Saturday's win at...
I respect and honor Elder and Sister Nelson, and I read the DesNews in...
I, too, am concerned about the reasons for not retaining Richard White who is...
Maynor is the man. Time to trade D-Will while his value is still high.




You can be the first to comment on this story.