▲ Dancers perform during a press call for the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre’s production “Ilmu” at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno District, Seoul, on Aug. 21, 2025. (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Yonhap) -- 

Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young on Thursday sent a congratulatory message to choreographers Jung Hye-jin, Kim Sung-hoon and Kim Jae-duk of the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre’s production "Ilmu," which won the Outstanding Choreographer Award at the New York Dance & Performance Awards, widely known as the Bessie Awards.

 

In his message, Chae said the artistic quality and contemporaneity demonstrated through "Ilmu" on the world-renowned New York stage deeply moved audiences at home and abroad. He added that the work is particularly meaningful as a new cultural heritage of the present era, reinterpreting the ritual dance of "Jongmyo Jeryeak," a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, through a modern sensibility.

 

“The award marks a great step in showcasing the excellence of Korea’s traditional arts and the creative capacity of Korean dance to the world,” Chae said. “The nation joins in cheering for your choreography to become a new language in the global dance community.”

 

"Ilmu," which won the top choreography honor at the Bessie Awards ceremony held Monday (local time) in New York, is a contemporary reinterpretation of the ritual dance of "Jongmyo Jeryeak," designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 1 and listed by UNESCO. The work premiered in 2022 and sold out all performances during its run at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2023, earning strong praise from local media.

 

Often referred to as the “Oscars of the dance world,” the Bessie Awards are a prestigious international honor presented annually since 1984 to the most artistic and innovative works and artists that have performed in New York.

 

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