Marronnier Summer Festival offers two-week bonanza of b-boy battles, drama, art shows and concerts


Marronnier Park in Dongsung-dong, central Seoul, now has the chance to live up to its former glory as the most passionate and artistic hangout place for young people. The first-ever Marronnier Summer Festival kicked off on Monday in four venues in the Daehangno area: Daehangno Arts Theater, Arko Arts Theater, Marronnier Park and Naksan Park.

Daehangno, translated as “university street,” refers to the cultural district stretching over Dongsung-dong and Hyehwa-dong where Seoul National University was once located. After the university was moved to Gwanak-gu in southern Seoul in 1975, part of the former university site was turned into Marronnier Park. Packed with theaters and galleries, the Daehangno area was the hottest place for artistic youths to hang out until Hongdae, the area near Hongik University in Seogyo-dong, emerged as a new cultural hub a few decades ago. Today, Daehangno is just known as an area of small-stage theaters.

Under the catch phrase “Daehangno Cultural Oasis: the power generator for the youth,” the 2011 Marronnier Summer Festival offers 35 experimental shows that mix various genres such as media art, drama and dance as well as b-boy dance battles, indie bands and jazz bands’ concerts and even musicals based on “gugak,” or Korean traditional music. The two-week fete is organized by Hanguk Performing Arts Center and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Seoul Metropolitan Government.

“It is true that Daehangno has been relatively inactive in recent years compared to the past. I wish it would be more bustling like before. Hoping for that, we are going to try everything the youths love these days through this festival,” said Kim Gap-su, an actor who is serving as the festival’s director, at a recent press conference.

“We will avoid holding outdoor performances from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. so that small-stage theaters will not be disturbed,” added Kim, who started his career as a stage actor as well. He still runs a small acting company in Daehangno.

The lineup for outdoor programs include “Dance Flavor Jam” on Aug. 6 in which top b-boy teams like Maximum Crew and Animation Crew are expected to throw a heated battle; “360 Block Party” on Aug. 12 in which participants can dance all night till five the next morning to music mixed by Seoul’s top DJs at Marronnier Park; “Midnight Funky Fever” on Aug. 13 with a host of jazz bands.

Indoors at Daehangno Arts Theater, exciting fusion shows are notable like KAIST Audio & Interactive Media Lab’s Analog-Digital Converter Project “Don’t Imagine” on Aug. 2, which will unveil media art expressed with cutting edge technologies; a sort of musical by Kim Hye-jeong and Blue Dance Theater titled “Blue Giselle” on Aug. 4 and 5; and a flamenco dance “Noche de Flamenco” performed by Korea Flamenco Company on Aug. 7.

Tickets to the indoor shows cost 20,000 won, and outdoor shows are free of charge. For more information, call (02) 3668-0007 or visit www.hanpac.or.kr.

By Park Min-young (claire@heraldcorp.com)