Choreographer Sharon Eyal on ‘Jakie’: ‘Come with an open mind and feel it’

Choreographer Sharon Eyal answers questions during a talk on ‘Jakie’ at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on March 10. [Photo=Sejong Center for the Performing Arts]

“Come with an open mind and feel it.”

Choreographer Sharon Eyal said at a March 10 talk at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts that dance is about “freedom, connection and emotion.”

“Movement makes us better people and brings better things,” she said, adding, “Everyone needs dance.”

The Sejong Center will present the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet’s first program of its 2026 season as a double bill: Johan Inger’s “Bliss” and “Jakie” by Eyal and Gai Behar, staged at the Sejong M Theater. “Jakie,” which premiered in 2023 at Netherlands Dance Theater (NDT), will be performed for the first time for audiences in South Korea through the Seoul company.

It is Eyal’s first time working with Korean dancers, though she said nationality is not central to her process. “My work is with people. It’s about working with new people — nationality doesn’t matter much,” she said.

Still, she said she appreciates that Korean dancers “respect rigor,” and added that drawing out emotion “could be a challenge.”

Eyal said she has made small adjustments for this production. “I tailor it little by little to each individual,” she said. “Rather than keeping the Korean audience in mind, I look for what can bring out the dancers’ sincerity in this moment. I believe that’s how communication happens.”

From left, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts President Ahn Ho-sang, choreographer Sharon Eyal, and Seoul Metropolitan Ballet dancers Nam Yun-seung and Kim Yeo-jin attend a talk on the season-opening program ‘Bliss and Jakie’ on March 10. [Photo=Sejong Center for the Performing Arts]

Calling herself a “dreamer,” Eyal repeatedly pointed to “life” when asked what inspired “Jakie” and whether the title refers to a specific person. “I don’t make works for the sake of making works. I drew inspiration from life. (‘Jakie’) is an extension of life,” she said.

She said the answer to what “Jakie” is meant to be remains open.

“You can think of Jakie as a bear. You can think it’s not a person,” she said. “Rather than explaining it, I want you to feel it directly. I don’t like reading a plot summary before going to the movies — I want to experience it. I hope audiences do, too.”

The program runs March 14-22 at the Sejong M Theater for seven performances. There are no performances on March 16, 17 and 21.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Yoon Juhye jujusun@ajunews.com