"Mimesis," a signature repertoire piece of the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre, will be staged in Washington, D.C., to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. It is the work's first performance abroad, with back-to-back invitations to a U.S. founding anniversary event and a Korean national day ceremony.
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said the company will present the full staging of "Mimesis" at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on the 27th as a special invited performance for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The event is hosted by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States, with the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre and the Warner Theatre as partners.
"Mimesis" reinterprets eight Korean traditional dances through a contemporary lens: gyobangmu, hallyangmu, sogochum, janggeommu, salpuri, seungmu, mudangchum and taepyeongmu. Each dance is linked to a natural element — water, wind, earth, lightning, air, sky, fire and light — translating the movement, breathing and emotion of traditional dance into a contemporary stage language. Yoon Hye-jung, artistic director of the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre, serves as artistic director and choreographer.
Two days later, on the 29th, the company will perform the opening stage at a Korean national day ceremony held at the National Portrait Gallery at the invitation of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States. The diplomatic event marks National Foundation Day, Armed Forces Day and the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and the company will perform about 15 minutes of key scenes from "Mimesis."
"Mimesis," which premiered last year at the Sejong Center, sold out all performances two weeks before opening. In April this year, it was staged at the 2026 Virtuoso Symposium at the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organization and Virtuoso, a global luxury travel network. In June, it was performed at the Gangdong Arts Center as part of the Gangdong Culture Foundation's 15th anniversary season program. The Washington performance is the work's first venture overseas. After returning home, the company will continue performing, including at the Korea Traditional Dance Festival at the National Theater of Korea on the 24th of next month.
Founded in 1974, the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre has steadily pursued original work rooted in traditional dance along with overseas expansion. After winning a Bessie Award, the New York Dance and Performance Award, for its signature work "One Dance," the company is broadening its international reach by bringing "Mimesis" to the U.S. stage as well.
