"I am closer to a dreamer than a choreographer. I am someone who loves to dance and loves to share feelings and emotions through dance."
World-renowned choreographer Sharon Eyal introduced herself this way at a press conference held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts' Artist Lounge on March 10, ahead of the "Bliss and Jakie" performance.
"Bliss and Jakie," the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet's season opener, is a double bill featuring Johan Inger's "Bliss" and Sharon Eyal's "Jakie" on the same stage. Eyal, an Israeli choreographer, founded the dance company S-E-D (Sharon Eyal Dance) with her husband Gai Behar in 2013 and has been leading trends in contemporary dance.
Eyal's works maximize tension through restrained yet delicate movements in dreamlike, surreal atmospheres. Her pieces are renowned for pushing the aesthetics of the human body to their limits. "Jakie," a signature work representing her artistic vision, premiered in the Netherlands in 2023. While she has visited Korea with her own dance company, this marks her first collaboration with Korean dancers.
"I am impressed by Korean dancers' rigorous attitude and respect for form," Eyal said. "Since dance is created with people, I am working with detailed variations tailored to new dancers."
Regarding the choreography in the piece, she explained: "It requires extremely minimal movements with no mannerisms at all—like a baby. This will be a considerable challenge for the dancers."
Seoul Metropolitan Ballet dancer Kim Yeo-jin, who attended the press conference, commented on the work's difficulty: "If your body and mind are not 100 percent awake before going on stage, it is impossible to perform. You must create movements with intense concentration—not just arms and legs, but palms, soles, and even eyes."
Costumes and music are also crucial elements in Eyal's works. "Jakie" features body-hugging dancewear that appears almost like a second skin.
"The costume is like skin," Eyal said. "Through the skin, you can see the dancers' muscles and sweat, and these elements help convey emotions more effectively."
She also shared her philosophy on dance: "Dance is freedom and connection. Physicality and movement make people better beings and bring better emotions." She added: "Everyone simply needs dance."
When asked about the current situation in the Middle East—Eyal is Israeli—she spoke briefly, saying she wanted to deliver a message of hope through dance.
Her advice to audiences: "Open your heart, watch the performance, and simply feel what you feel."
The performance runs for seven shows from March 14 to 22 at Sejong Center's M Theater, with no performances on March 16, 17, and 21.
