춤에도나이가있을까?
오래전에만들어진춤은오래된춤이고,
오늘만들어진춤만새로운춤일까?
지난주말 LA 발레단의 (아메리칸 아이콘스,
American Icons)를보며이런생각이들었다.
세계 여러 도시에는 저마다자랑하는 발레단이 있다. LA에사는 나에게 LA 발레단의 무대는익숙한 일상에 새로운감각을 더해준다. 2004년 창단한이 발레단은 클래식부터네오클래식, 컨템포러리 발레까지다양한 작품을 선보이며관객들과 만나왔다.개인적인인연도있다. 발레단의 유일한 한인 무용수인 예술리 정 선생님과 제이콥 선생님이 진발레스쿨에서도 학생들을 지도하고 있으며,
지난해에는우리학생에린도(호두까기인형) 아동 오디션에 합격해 무대에 섰다.
이번공연은 2026년 미국 건국250주년을기념해미국무용과음악의흐름을이끈예술가들을조명한무대다.
미국무용사의거장제롬로빈스와폴테일러,
오늘의LA 발레단을이끄는멜리사바락까지.
서로다른시대를대표하는안무가들의작품을한자리에서만나니‘아메리칸아이콘스’라는 제목의 의미가 자연스럽게 다가왔다.
첫작품은멜리사바락의(웨이브렝스,
Wavelength)였다. 지난 1월 베벌리힐스에서 처음 보았을 때보다 무용수들의 호흡과 앙상블이 한층 깊어 보였다.
작품도무대에오를때마다무용수와함께성장한다는생각이들었다.
가장강렬했던것은두번째작품, 제롬 로빈스의 (더 케이지,
The Cage)였다. 음악이 스트라빈스키의 (현악 오케스트라를 위한 협주곡D조)라는 것을 알고,
피나바우쉬의(봄의제전) 공연을 보았던 강렬한 기억이 가장 먼저 떠올랐다.
서로다른곡이지만,
스트라빈스키라는이름만으로도긴장감을예감했다.
무대가시작되자그예감은맞아떨어졌다.
여성무용수들은곤충같은생명체로변해있었다.
날카로운손끝과뒤틀리는등, 주역 무용수의 표정과 몸짓은 섬뜩할 만큼 생생했다.
아름다움은고운선에만있는것이아니었다.
낯설고불편한움직임에도눈을뗄수없게하는힘이있었다.
더욱놀라운것은 1951년에 초연된 작품이라는 사실이다.
무려 75년 전이다. 그런데도 오늘 만들어진 것처럼 새롭고 파격적이었다. ‘75년 전에 어떻게 이런 발레를 생각했을까?’
감탄했다.
그무대에예술리정선생님이함께하는기쁨도컸다.
마지막폴테일러의(딜리딜리, Dilly
Dilly)는미국민요와유머러스한움직임으로웃음을선사했다.
대학에서발레를전공하던시절, 현대무용의 거장으로 배웠던 폴 테일러.
그가세상을떠난뒤에도그의춤은젊은무용수들의몸에서살아움직이고있었다.
니체는몸을 ‘커다란 이성’이라 불렀다.
그말을떠올리면춤은몸으로생각하고세상을느끼는예술이다.
같은노래도살아온시간에따라다르게들리듯,
오래된춤도오늘의몸과시선을만나새로운의미를얻는다.
그렇다면춤의나이는무엇으로정해지는것일까?
작품이처음태어난시간일까?
오늘그것을다시살아내는무용수의몸일까?
아니면그춤을바라보는우리의시선일까?
A Dance from 75 Years Ago Still Feels New Today — Reflections on Los
Angeles Ballet
Does dance have an age? Is a dance created long ago an old dance, and is
only a dance created today truly new? These questions came to mind last weekend
as I watched Los Angeles Ballet’s American Icons.
Cities around the world have ballet companies they take pride in. As someone
who lives in LA, I find that Los Angeles Ballet’s performances bring fresh
perspectives to the familiar rhythms of everyday life. Founded in 2004, the
company has connected with audiences through a varied repertoire spanning classical,
neoclassical, and contemporary ballet. I also have a personal connection to the
company. Ashley Jung, its only Korean dancer, and Jacob both teach students at
Jean Ballet School. Last year, our student Erin also passed the children’s
audition for The Nutcracker and appeared in the production.
This program celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence in
2026, highlighting artists who helped shape American dance and music. It
brought together works by Jerome Robbins and Paul Taylor, two towering figures
in American dance, and Melissa Barak, who leads Los Angeles Ballet today.
Seeing works by choreographers representing different generations together on
one stage, I felt the meaning of the title American Icons come
naturally into focus.
The opening work was Melissa Barak’s Wavelength. Compared with when
I first saw it in Beverly Hills this past January, the dancers seemed more
deeply attuned to one another, their ensemble work more cohesive. It made me
think that a work, too, grows alongside its dancers each time it returns to the
stage.
The most powerful impression came from the second work, Jerome Robbins’s The
Cage. When I learned that the music was Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for
String Orchestra, my first thought was of the unforgettable intensity of
watching Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring. Though they are different
compositions, Stravinsky’s name alone made me anticipate a sense of tension. As
the performance began, that anticipation proved well founded.
The female dancers had transformed into insectlike creatures. Their sharp
fingertips, contorted backs, and the lead dancer’s expressions and gestures
were unsettlingly vivid. Beauty did not reside only in graceful lines. Even
unfamiliar, uncomfortable movements possessed a power that made it impossible
to look away.
What astonished me even more was that the work premiered in 1951—75 years
ago. Yet it felt as fresh and daring as something created today. “How could
anyone have imagined a ballet like this 75 years ago?” I wondered in
admiration. There was also great joy in seeing Ashley Jung take part in that
performance.
The final work, Paul Taylor’s Dilly Dilly, brought laughter through
American folk songs and humorous movement. When I was majoring in ballet in
college, I studied Taylor as one of the great masters of modern dance. Even
after his passing, his dance was still alive, moving through the bodies of
young dancers.
Nietzsche called the body “a great reason.” His words remind me that dance
is an art through which we think with our bodies and feel the world. Just as
the same song can sound different depending on the life we have lived, an old
dance gains new meaning when it meets the bodies and perspectives of today.
What, then, determines the age of a dance? Is it the moment the work first
came into being? The bodies of the dancers who bring it to life again today? Or
the way we see it?
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www.koadance.org
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한미무용연합진발레스쿨
·
3727 West. 6th Street #607. LA CA 90020
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Tel: 323-428-4429
#한미무용연합 #진발레스쿨 #진채의무용이야기#LA발레단#아메리칸아이콘스
#KOADanceFederation #JeanBalletSchool #JeanChoiDanceStories #LosAngelesBallet
#AmericanIcons
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