2025 Korea Season in Spain: Captivating Spain in one dance, "Two Cultures, One Heart"

Over in Europe

This year's Korea Season is unfolding in Spain, and in the last week, a signature dance performance has become the bridge, bringing the two nations together as one.

Our Choi Soo-hyung shares some exciting moments with us.

Spain is a country renowned for its dance and passion.

And in its capital, Madrid, stands a cultural landmark, the Matadero Art Theater.

There, a special performance unfolded, blending the past and present of Korean dance.

A dancer walked through a dream.

Traditional Korean sounds, pansori, janggu and jing, filled the space, setting the stage for a soulful dance.

The swishing of hanji, Korean traditional paper, mimicked the sounds of waves, telling people what Korean dance is.

Modern styles like b-boying, hip-hop and street dance also caught the eye.

Through intense movements, dancers told stories of conflict in modern society, showing how far Korean contemporary dance has come.

The final stage presented a dynamic blend of tradition and modern emotion, filled with color and energy.

And in the encore, the entire audience danced together to the Korean folk song, "Ganggangsullae," a circle dance, as one a true moment of cultural harmony.

"Amazing. I enjoyed every second of it, the dancers, the body language, and the expression. At first, I thought I would not understand because we've come from different cultures, we may have different artistic languages, but it was so enjoyable. The expression and the story were super clear."

"The performance was amazing. It was a mix between what you can know about contemporary dance and things you didn't know about Korea, but you can interpret or think about."

Since 2022, South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has selected one country each year with strong potential for spreading Korean culture, offering a year-long series of cultural programs on site.

This year, Spain was chosen.

On Friday, July 4, the performance titled "A Dance Between Cultures," showcased the spirit of the 2025 Korea Season.

Featuring acclaimed Korean teams recognized both at home and at international festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe, the event brought Korea and Spain together through dance.

"Koreans and Spaniards both love music and dance. Through sharing that energy, it's a great way to connect emotions, and open hearts. We wanted to show performances that people would want to see again, even years later, with a more open mind and a positive mindset."

Spain's cultural scene also said why dance can play such an important role in helping Spain understand Korea.

"It's very funny, we are so far but we have the same system to protect our identity through the culture, through the tradition, through the idea to move the tradition to another way to be, to express. So the past and the future always together, always dancing together."

"Under the theme 'Two Cultures, One Heart,' the performance blended Korean traditional and contemporary dance with Spanish artistry, marking a powerful highlight of this year's Korea Season.

Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News, Madrid.