Korea/UK, Modern Table Dance, Greenwich+Docklands Festival

Modern Table dance company are South Korean, young, male and invested in cultural fusion and experimentation.

The work they’re bring to the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival as part of the South Korea/UK cultural exchange is called Men of Steel and is a hard-to-pigeonhole blend of contemporary dance, hip hop, rock and Pan-sori – a Korean genre of musical story-telling.

Men of Steel is highly physical – its overall theme is confrontation.

Modern Table company is led by choreographer Kim Jae-duk, a name you should perhaps commit to memory for future reference, as we’re bound to hear a lot more from him.

Kim’s main interest is in breaking down barriers, non only between dance genres, but also between art forms and between performers and audience. His overriding aim is to give contemporary forms to traditional Korean culture, so as to explore its modern-day relevance and bring it to wider audiences.

Already quite famous throughout continental Europe, Modern Table had its UK premiere at The Place last year. Reviewing that work, The Stage wrote:

'Every element of the work is so passionate, sophisticated and aggressive that you will not be able to take your eyes off if even for a moment.'

And if that is not enough to entice you to the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival… The show is billed as 'family friendly', so you might even consider taking the youngsters.