The Korean Cultural Center New York, a government institution inaugurated in 1979 to promote Korean culture and aesthetics in New York, opened the doors to its brand new, state-of-the-art facility in June 2024. After many years of planning and construction, the elegantly designed center features pristine spaces including an art gallery, library, traditional Korean garden, cooking studio, a media wall, and a 172-seat stadium style theater for an ideal viewing experience.

The program offered three works—each one bringing to light a unique aspect of Korean tradition and thinking. The opening piece, “Here—1st part,” is a distillation of Ganggangsullae—a traditional harvest event, incorporating song, circle dancing, and games. The dance was typically performed by women under the full moon to ensure a bountiful harvest. From this idea, Maeja built a loose narrative around the power of women and feminine energy, opening with a classic formation of dancers suspended in a timeless communal ritual as they hold hands and slowly circumscribe the space. The costumes of flowing white gauzy cotton brought a contemporary flare to the traditional Korean full skirt, and the moon-like projection on the dark back wall framed the piece to perfection.

The circling dancers eventually formed a line and hinged their bodies forward forming a walking path with their flattened backs. Upon this, one dancer mounted the bowed bodies, and gracefully walked atop them. All the while, each person at the back of the line scampered around to attach to the front of the formation, thereby lengthening the path. I learned that this is an actual game played during Ganggangsullae festivities. 

In an unusual and beautiful sequence—also, an evocation of the feminine—seven women filled the stage wearing white gauzy tops and loose pants with a pronounced bustle and gathered train trailing behind them. The electronic score, rich with nature sounds and bird call, echoed through the dancers’ bodies as they stood in place and extended their arms and torsos outward releasing energy from a deep inner core and then allowed them to fold back in. The dancers took their trains in hand and skimmed the floor with tiny footsteps into a myriad of kaleidoscopic patterns, which they paused in just long enough for the eye to enjoy. After a costume change, the work built to a climactic ending with a large group section performed in unison to a strong percussive beat. The repetitive pendular jumping with swinging arms and the occasional overhead swirl suggested an indomitable group heartbeat.