Love of dance still invigorates pop paraplegic’s routine

Ahn Eun-mi, left, director of the 2008 Hi Seoul Festival, and pop star Kang Won-rae show a move from the “Spring Breeze” routine. [YONHAP]

He can’t use his legs anymore, but that hasn’t kept a former pop star from expressing his love of dance.
Through choreography, Kang Won-rae, a member of the famous Korean pop group Clon, will reveal some moves at the 2008 Hi Seoul Festival.
This year’s festival opens May 4 and will feature an official dance choreographed by Kang. “This is the first year we’ve designated an official dance for the festival,” said festival director Ahn Eun-mi. “I thought he would be the best fit to choreograph the festival’s dance.”
Kang, a paraplegic, was 31 when he thought he’d never dance again. On Nov. 9 of 2000, he was riding his motorcycle through a four-way intersection in Gangnam District, southern Seoul when a drunk driver hit him. The accident left Kang with a fractured spine and paralyzed him from the waist down.
Consumed by grief after suffering what he thought to be an insurmountable obstacle, the famous dancer resigned himself to the fact that he’d never dance again.
Then one day Kang realized that although he couldn’t dance on his feet, he could still use his knowledge and creativity to choreograph routines for other dancers. During his comeback, Kang opened his own dance academy, Clon Dance, in Gangneung, Gangwon, and dedicated his life to spotlighting promising dancers. Kang even began to incorporate his wheelchair into his own dances, which he featured in Clon music videos.
He’d been running his studio for four years when Ahn came calling and asked him to choreograph the festival’s official dance.
Over the course of a month, Kang burned the midnight oil to focus on the dance. Once finished, he taught the routine to his students at Clon Dance and shot it on video.
Although the dance isn’t the same type of complicated routine that Kang performed in Clon, it has its own appeal. “Because the dance is easy, many people can do it together,” Kang said. “The name of the routine is ‘Spring Breeze.’” Ahn was reportedly delighted with the final product.
The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture will release the Spring Breeze music video soon, and will play on electronic billboards in Seoul and on www.hiseoulfestival.org. The foundation will also host a Spring Breeze dance contest at the festival.

By Choi Sun-wook JoongAng Ilbo [spark@joongang.co.kr]