A Festival of Korean Dance returns to the UK and presents Ham:beth at Salford’s Lowry

Presented by the Korean Cultural Centre UK and The Place in partnership with Lowry, Dance City, and Pavilion Dance South West, the well-established staple of the dance calendar, A Festival of Korean Dance returns for its eighth year, bringing five companies to the UK from 7 – 24 May including Lowry, Salford on Tuesday 20 May when dance troupe Modern Table present Ham:beth.

Boy-band meets Shakespearean drama in this energetic all-male show by Modern Table. Loosely inspired by depictions of madness in Hamlet and Macbeth, Ham:beth combines traditional Korean songs with a live rock band to create a powerful gig atmosphere. Seven dancers in slick suits battle against the pressure to conform. Claiming their right to desire, their quests push them into becoming lone heroes as fast and furious choreography builds the thrilling sensation of relentless energy, danger and emotional charge.

Ham:beth is choreographed and composed by Jae-duk Kim. Performers include Jae-duk Kim, Eo-reen Lee, Cheol-han Jeong, Sey-eong Eorm, Jun-seok Lee, Hyeong-kyu Choi and Dong-gyu Kim alongside musicians Suk-gui Yoon (Vocal), Seong-eun Heo (Drum), Chul-joo Huh (Guitar) and Hyun-soo Kim (Bass). Lighting design is by Jang-han Lee with the sound director Dong-jun Been.

Dr. Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, said “As the Director of the KCCUK, I am delighted to co-host the 8th Festival of Korean Dance with five Korean companies. We are particularly excited to see a wide variety of contemporary Korean dance performances in multiple cities across the UK as part of the festival, further enriching the cultural connections between Korea and the UK.”

Jaeyeon Park, Senior Producer at the Korean Cultural Centre UK, said, “From the raw energy of Korea National Contemporary Dance Company’s Jungle to Modern Table’s dynamic interpretation of Shakespeare’s classics with live rock in Ham:beth, we’re excited to be celebrating the bold creativity of Korea’s contemporary dance scene. With innovative works like Ji-hye Chung’s Shinsegae and the return of Melancholy Dance Company and Choi x Kang Project, the festival continues to push artistic boundaries and foster cultural exchange between Korea and the UK.”

Ham:beth comes to Lowry, Salford on Tuesday 20 May. For more information and tickets visit www.thelowry.com.