Korean dance troupe explores human nature in powerful Los Angeles debut on USC campus

Dancers balanced red athletic mats on their heads, gracefully swaying to the rhythm of the cha-cha. The dim red lighting and their black suits evoked a scene reminiscent of the 1950s.

The audience could hardly have anticipated how such a gentle opening would, within 30 minutes, evolve into an intense, martial arts-inspired display of physical prowess. As the music shifted to a rhythmic drumbeat, the dancers placed the mats on the floor, piecing them together until they almost covered the entire stage.

Then, the dancers began to leap, form lines and scatter until only two remained on the mats. One dancer suddenly sprinted toward the other, leaping high into the air with a flying kick, sending the other crashing heavily to the ground. The five dancers took turns pairing off in this way, each delivering kicks and each being knocked down in turn.

Soon, the dancers took off their suit jackets and forcefully slammed them onto the floor and against their own bodies. The loud thuds from striking the jackets became the only sound echoing through the venue at that moment.

This was Judo, the opening performance by the Bereishit Dance Company, presented to an audience of over 500 on Sunday on the USC University Park Campus. It marked the troupe’s Los Angeles debut hosted by USC Visions and Voices, a program created to bring USC students and the broader community together to celebrate and experience the arts.

Bereishit: The beginning

“The word Bereishit comes from the Old Testament and means ‘in the beginning,’” said Soon-ho Park, the director and founder of the dance company.

“I’m interested in community and how people come together to form connections. Exploring those relationships through choreography is truly fascinating,” said Park, emphasizing his vision of exploring culture and society. “Through dance, I learn more about myself, grow as an individual and connect with different people.”

Bereishit has gained wide recognition in the industry. Julia Ritter, dean of the USC Kaufman School of Dance, has known of the dance company since 2015 and worked with them previously.

“Soon-ho Park’s work is among the most innovative in the global dance scene. Bringing him and his company to USC marked a true milestone moment, showcasing the significance of Bereishit Dance in the evolution of contemporary choreography. We thank Visions and Voices for being collaborative partners in sharing dance with the community,” Ritter said.

While the broader USC community may not have been familiar with the dance company, that didn’t stop attendees from enjoying the performance and interpreting it in their own ways.

“Judo feels like a reflection of a life journey. You may fall, you may feel angry, you may feel uncertain, but eventually, you stand strong,” said Alice Park, a USC sophomore studying fine arts, who attended the performance and helped the dance company with translations during their rehearsal earlier that day. “I had never heard of Bereishit before, but I’m glad I signed up for this event and came to see the performance with my friends,” she added.

“The suit jackets and mats in Judo symbolize two traits of human nature — violence and determination,” director Park explained in a post-performance discussion. “I was inspired by sports as an outlet for us to control and transcend humanity’s violent nature and urges.”

Approaching traditional culture from a contemporary view

Following the intensity of Judo, the company presented the second work, Balance & Imbalance, a piece featuring more complex movements and a perfect integration of Korean traditions with contemporary dance. A vocalist and two drummers, all dressed in traditional hanbok, first appeared on one side of the stage. As the main stage lit up, the dancers entered, intertwining their bodies in duets and trios, effortlessly lifting each other’s full body weight through repeated partnered cartwheels.

Amid the contemporary choreography, the vocalist delivered Korean chants and recitations in sync with the music and dance movements. She sang Sugungga, one of the five surviving stories of the Korean pansori storytelling tradition, about animals fighting for kingship.

The troupe also infused humor into the work. At one point, the vocalist chanted more energetically as she moved to center stage and interacted with a solo dancer, who playfully impersonated a tiger.

The physically demanding choreography, coupled with Korean cultural elements and rich symbolism, left the audience in awe. As Balance & Imbalance came to an end, the audience rose to their feet in a long, standing ovation.

Daria Yudacufski, executive director of USC Visions and Voices, highlighted the connection between the dance company and USC’s Arts Now initiative: “At Visions and Voices, we believe that arts are vital to help us understand each other and what it means to be human. These ideas are shared by Bereishit, whose choreography explores the relationships between people and society.”

Bereishit is currently touring the United States, with USC as the third of five stops and the only stop in Los Angeles.