Forum to commemorate legendary Korean modern dancer

SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- A forum of Asian scholars and dancers will be held in
Seoul this week to commemorate the birth of Choi Seung-hee (1911-1967),
considered one of Korea's very first modern dancers, the dancer's remembrance
foundation said Tuesday.
The event, jointly organized by the Choi Seung-hee Remembrance Foundation and the
Hongcheon District -- Choi's birthplace in central South Korea -- has been
downsized due to the spread of the Influenza A virus.
Instead of the dance festival that has been held every year in the month of
Choi's birthday, a small number of scholars and her students in Korea and China
will gather at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul Wednesday, sharing memories
of the late dancer and discussing her performances, the foundation said.
The participants include Lee Ae-soon, head of Yanbian University art research
center and Japanese culture critic Eiji Kohno.
Choi, born during the Japanese occupation of Korea, is also known by the Japanese
pronunciation of her name, Sai Shoki.
At the age of 15, Choi went, against her father's wishes, to study under modern
dancer Baku Ishii in Japan, where she distinguished herself as one of the most
talented dancers. She developed her own style inspired by Korean folk dance,
which was then considered low-brow.
After the end of World War II, she went to North Korea with her husband, who was
an active supporter of the Workers' Party of Korea. She established a dance
school and was given an official position within the North Korean administration.

In 1967, she was purged by the party and disappeared from public view. Although
an official announcement was made in 2003 that the dancer had died in 1969,
issues surrounding her death remain undisclosed.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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