DV8 prepared to shock and awe in Korea

For those who find dance performances generally too abstract ―or even boring ― DV8 Physical Theatre, a dance company from Britain, is bringing a whole new concept of dance to Korea. They’ll be performing next Thursday through Sunday at the LG Arts Center.
Since 1986, DV8 has performed in Europe, North America and Australia, provoking critics with what it calls its “shock and awe” performances ―performances that don’t limit themselves to celebrating the aesthetic aspects of dance.
Lloyd Newson, the group’s founder and choreographer, once dismissed classical ballet as “flower arranging,” asserting that it had far too many limitations.
To make his point clear, his works have featured dancers who were physically disabled, dancers who were obese and dancers who were elderly. According to Mr. Newson, his performances attempt to deal with individual lives, relationships and social issues.
Having majored in psychology in Australia, Mr. Newson has used his knowledge in various aspects of his productions including “Just for Show,” a project DV8 will perform in Korea for the first time.
“First of all, it is a ‘fun’ show. At least, you will neither feel sleepy nor have a headache,” Mr. Newson said in an interview with an LG Arts Center staffer (a Korean translation of which was provided to media outlets).
“The show is about showing and showing off in a world where ‘looking good’ has become more essential than ‘being good,’” he said. “That’s why we lie and brag. Through this project, I wanted to question what makes us wrap up ourselves in pretense.”
The performance will have plenty of visual effects, including a hologram. “Through the method, we can effectively pose questions such as ‘what is real?’”
Mr. Newson says he wants his audiences to discuss the issues his show raises after the performances.
“Many dance performances tend to be too abstract. It’s common that audiences watch a performance without knowing what it is all about. With that kind of performance, there is nothing to talk about, and fair criticism is impossible,” said Mr. Newson.
He often questions himself, he said. “Why am I projecting this performance? Why should this be here, and why should he dance that way? Without ‘why,’ you cannot make good shows.”

by Choi Sun-young

Ticket prices range from 30,000 won ($30) to 70,000 won. The performance is sponsored by the British Council in Korea. For tickets, call LG Arts Center at (02) 2005-0114 or visit www.lgart.com.