It’s been 50 years since Korea’s pioneering modern dancer and choreographer Yook Wan-soon held her first solo performance in Seoul, the first American-style modern dance ever showcased in the country.

“I had to major in physical education in college because no university at the time offered degrees in dance,” said Yook during a press conference in Seoul last week.

“Physical education programs offered one or two dance sessions but it was nowhere near what dance students learn at art schools these days.”

Celebrating the life and career of Yook, a special dance festival is kicking off on Friday. Born in 1933 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Yook majored in physical education at Ewha Womans University and studied contemporary dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

She continued giving performances in Seoul and the U.S. until 1972 before turning to academia and choreography. She’s written a number of scholarly articles on modern dance theories, and choreographed original modern dance pieces, including the famous “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

The upcoming festival consists of performances by the Korea National Ballet, Seoul Ballet Theater, the National Dance Company of Korea, Seoul Performing Arts Company, as well as exhibitions and academic forums about modern dance and its development in Korea.

One of the highlights of the festival is the performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which Yook created and staged in 1973. The piece is based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1971 rock opera of the same title; Yook recreated the piece into a modern dance performance with her dance students at Ewha Womans University.

Seoul Ballet Theater is performing its modern-ballet repertoire titled “Line of Life.” The piece features the season of spring and the dancers express the birth of living things.

On Jan. 21, a total of six works by modern dance choreographers will be staged. One piece is a scene from “Madame Freedom 2012” by choreographer Jeong Ui-sook. The piece, on which Jeong collaborated with filmmaker Byeon Hyeok, received rave reviews for its rare artistic achievement. Byeon and Jeong combined video screenings and live dance performances, creating a unique blend of two different artistic genres.

Choreographer Kim Soon-jeong, who also teaches at Sungshin Women’s University, created a special piece just for the festival. Titled “Moonlight, Flowing River,” the piece features the ups and downs of our lives, inspired by the changing phases of the moon.

Choreographer Shin Chang-ho, who is the director of local modern dance troupe Laboratory Dance Project, is staging his original work “No Comment.” The piece delves into the themes of minimalism and simplicity, as well as repetition. The piece is noted for the dancers’ simple, constantly repeated movements.

On Jan. 25, dance students from 11 art high schools across the country, including Sunhwa Arts High School, Busan High School of Arts and Deokwon Arts High School, will be performing.

Yook said she will be performing onstage during the opening show on Dec. 25.

“I’d rather keep it a secret,” she said. “I won’t say what exactly I’ll be performing on the day.”

The festival runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 27 at different venues in Seoul, including Arko Arts Theater and Myeongdong Theater. For more information, call (02) 325-5702.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)