Choreographic Diplomacy™

As a young organization, SCDT is in a perpetual state of innovation, constantly re-thinking new methodologies for the creation and international presentation of its work; both through the Main Company as a stand-alone repertory ensemble and in the execution of the Main Company's Choreographic Diplomacy™ program. Since founding and commencing the Choreographic Diplomacy™ program in 2018, SCDT has undertaken an ongoing partnership with choreographer Joseph Kim and Choomna Dance Company of Seoul, Korea. This initiative has enabled the two companies to create collaborative work and tour this work to each organization's respective countries. Since 2018, SCDT has performed two times in Seoul, Korea, toured to Arnhem, Netherlands and through an award from MidAtlantic Arts Foundation toured to Colombia, South America by invitation of the Asia-Iberomaerica Cultural Foundation. SCDT aims to employ the choreographic process to bridge the gap between often disparate people and cultures, fighting xenophobia through the universal language of movement.

HISTORICAL TIMELINE

2024-2025
Tour to Seoul, Korea and performance at Seoul International Dance Festival in TANK; Tour to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam United World Colleges benefit concert
2023-2024
Bogotá, Columbia; South Chicago Dance Theatre and Chooma Dance Company Tour with support from the Mid Atlantic Arts USArtists International Grant, the Los Andes Cultural Center, and the Asia-Iberoamerica Cultural Foundation in October 2023
2018-2019

Seoul, South Korea Residency #1 at Choomna Art Center November 2018
Chicago, Illinois Residency #1 at the Rebuild Foundation and Hyde Park School Of Dance April-May 2019

2019-2020

Seoul, South Korea Residency #2 at Choomna Art Center November 2019

2020-2021

Chicago, Illinois Residency #2 Virtual at the second annual South Chicago Dance Festival November 2020

2021-2022

Chicago, Illinois Residency #3 at Hyde Park School Of Dance November 2021
Seoul, South Korea Residency #3 at Choomna Art Center January 2022

Look out for a SCDT’s first peer published Choreographic Diplomacy™ essay in July 2022

Lead Collaborators

Joseph Kim, Artistic Director

Joseph was born in Busan, South Korea. He learned to B-boy at the age of 14 and began studying composition at the age of 18. Joseph graduated from Department of Choreography at Korean National University of Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and Master of Fine Arts degree before beginning his career as a professional choreographer. Joseph has been featured in “Hansel and Gretels”, a piece within the program ‘Basecamp for Choreographers’ of Korea National Contemporary Dance Company and “What About Love” choreographed by Joelle Bouvier. Additional credits include “Theatre of Operations”, co-produced by Theatre Vidy-Lausanne and LG Art Centre and choreographed by Pierre Rigal. Joseph toured “Theatre of Operations” throughout France and Switzerland. Joseph choreographed and danced in a solo performance “Gom-bang-yi-teot-da” in 2014, which was performed at Seoul International Choreography Festival and Festival ‘de Saint Denis’ in 2016. He is a Feldenkrais practitioner and studied at MBS Academy in Germany and South Korea. Joseph specializes in “Primal Move for Instructors” and “Movement Intelligence”. Joseph’s research is around oriental martial arts including Baguazhang and he is the Artistic Director of Choomna Art center.

Kia S. Smith