Dance meets literature, theater: Nat'l Contemporary Dance Company showcases 'Equus'

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC) will revive its critically acclaimed interpretation of Peter Shaffer's play "Equus" starting tonight in Seoul, offering a unique combination of dance with literary and theatrical elements.

The modern dance piece is inspired by the British playwright's 1973 work, which caused a sensation for featuring explicit themes and nudity. The Tony Award-winning play having been staged more than 1,000 times on Broadway was introduced in Korea in the form of dance by the KNCDC in 1999 to rave reviews from both critics and fans. (Above picture: The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will restage its 1999 rendition of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" through Saturday at the Baik-Chang Theater, Seoul. / Courtesy of KNCDC)

The play was inspired by the true case of a stableboy that blinded six horses with a pick. In the theatrical piece, Dysart is a psychiatrist who attempts to treat the 17-year-old stableboy, Alan, who has a pathological obsession with horses. Having been raised by a religious fanatic mother and stern atheist father, he develops a sexual fascination with horses. He constructs a personal theology involving the animals with the supreme godhead "Equus", and becomes torn when he becomes sexually involved with a young woman, which ultimately leads him to commit the violent act against the horses.

The theatrical piece ran on Broadway for a prolonged period and stirred mild controversy when "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe played the lead role that required him to appear naked. The story was also recently staged as a play here in 2009 as the opener of Cho Jae-hyun's popular Best Play Series.

Unlike the play that usually showcases strong, male performers to play the horses the dance spinoff will feature female dancers for the part. As demonstrated in last week's open rehearsal, the local dance spinoff deconstructs conventional meanings of time and space to take the viewer straight into the inner workings of Alan's autistic mind. Shifting psychological states and core themes about the conflict between personal desire and social mores are expressed in jerking rhythmic movements, subtle gestures, and moreover, words.

KNCDC's artistic director Hong Sungyop has decided to employ snippets of theatrical dialogue, as was the case in the troupe's 1999 rendition of "Equus". But unlike the previous version, in which dancers made an attempt to deliver all the lines, Hong opted to invite theater actors Lee Gi-don and Seo Sang-won as Alan and Dysart, respectively.

"I've always dreamt of starring in 'Equus' as a theater actor and was thrilled to take part in this project. It's very different from what I expected; I act more like a narrator and have to refrain from expressing too much emotion. Nevertheless it's a great experience", said Lee.

"The dance piece will offer audiences a unique mix of performances by dancers and actors, storytelling that involves both movements and words", said Hong.

In addition to literary and theatrical elements, the performance also features a rich musical score that includes works by Michael Neiman, Igor Stravinsky, Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet.

"Equus" is being staged through Saturday at the Baik-Chang Theater in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. All tickets cost 10,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3472-1420.

By Lee Hyo-won