About

A pioneer of Hallyu (한류),  Korean Wave, Young Soon Kim, is an internationally acclaimed choreographer, whose work has been hailed as “exhilarating”, “visually stunning,” and “emotionally rich.”  WHITE WAVE Dance's goal is to inspire audiences of all cultures with the multi-dimensional aspects of complete dance staging and production, reflecting themes and challenges both modern and timeless.

 

Young Soon Kim is one of the most renowned choreographers to emerge from Korea. Born in Kwangju, Korea, Ms. Kim was invited to the United States in 1977 by the Martha Graham School and a recipient of Rudolf Nureyev Scholarship same year. She has danced with Jennifer Muller/The Works (1980-1984), Pearl Lang and Joyce Trisler Company, among others. She was co-Artistic Director and Choreographer with Throne Dance Theater from 1979-86.

 

In 1988, Ms. Kim established the WHITE WAVE Young Soon Kim Dance Company, for which she has created more than 68 original works. WHITE WAVE Dance has toured internationally, highlighted by the 1988 Summer Olympics World Dance Festival and the 1996 East Asia tour, featured on CNN International.

 

Ms. Kim and the Company have traversed the globe, performing Ms. Kim's original works in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and Korea. Ms. Kim’s 40-year career as a choreographer began as a virtuoso performer appearing at major festivals: Theatre de la Ville in Paris, Maison de la Culture in Le Havre, France; Teatro Nazionale in Milan, Teatro Tendu Striscie in Rome; Schauspielhaus in Cologne, as well as the Festival d’Avignon in Avignon, France.

 

Collaborating with distinguished musicians, such as legendary jazzman Dave Brubeck, Young Soon has also choreographed for City Contemporary Dance Company, Hong Kong, Seoul Contemporary Dance Company, and the St. Gallen Dance Loft, Switzerland.

 

In 2012, WHITE WAVE’s 16-member ensemble toured Korea, performing Here Now So Long and SSOOT, notable for our use of live music and video art. KBS-TV broadcast the performance in August 2012 on a program similar to PBS’s Great Performances.

 

Ms. Kim was invited to Korea in 2013 with an invitation to perform as part of the “Celebration of Korea’s 50 Years of Modern Dance” at the Arko Theater in Seoul, where she danced a solo from her piece ‘SSOOT’ titled ‘Dark Woods’.

 

Highlights include the documentary film, "Arirang: The Korean- American Journey," featuring Ms. Kim's artistic achievements, which premièred at the Smithsonian Institution and aired nationwide on PBS in 2003; and the CNN feature, "Inside Asia," during our Hong Kong tour, which aired internationally. In both 2013 and 2014, Ms. Kim was nominated for the Annual KBS-TV Global Korean Award and was selected as the subject of a documentary highlighting her achievements.

 

In summer 2019, the Company performed at the Opening Celebration of the ‘19 FINA World Championship Masters' Games in Korea. The Asian Cultural Center, one of the most prestigious arts complexes in Asia and Asia Culture Institute presented ‘Eternal NOW’ with a full cast and staging. In China, we performed at Ningbo Cultural Plaza as part of a China-US Cultural Exchange program. Overwhelmed sold-out audiences greeted us at every performance!

 

In addition, Ms. Kim has been one of the most recognized producers/curators in New York through WHITE WAVE’s three Annual Dance Festivals: DUMBO Dance Festival (20th), Wave Rising Series (12th), CoolNY Dance Festival (14th), and SoloDuo Dance Festival (5th). Ms. Kim served as juror for New York City Department of City Affairs and for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Currently, Ms. Kim serves as a member of The Bessie: New York Dance Performance Presenter League Committee.

 

“There are people who simply have a lot of energy, and the Korean-born choreographer Young Soon Kim is clearly one of them.” – Roslyn Sulcas, New York Times 2008.  © Martin Seymore