Han Ye-ri serves as honorary ambassador of MODAFE

“The persistence and perseverance I’d learned while dancing became a pillar of my acting career. I think we are all dancing our own dance.”

As an honorary ambassador, “Minari” actress Han Ye-ri, 36, participated in the press conference of the 40th International Modern Dance Festival (MODAFE) held at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul on Tuesday. It was her first public appearance after attending the Academy Awards ceremony with actress Youn Yuh-jung on April 25. “I finished my self-quarantine after returning to Korea. It is an honor to be an honorary ambassador of the event I have admired from when I was a student at its 40th anniversary,” Han said. The event was attended Lee Hae-joon, chairman of the organizing committee, Kim Hye-jung, art director, Nam Jung-ho, director of the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, and Kang Su-jin, artistic director of the Korean National Ballet.

Han, who majored in Korean dance at the Korea National University of Arts, expressed her love for dance. “There may be some who have never seen it, but there is no one who has seen it only once,” Han said of dance. “The energy generated from dance is so great that it makes you want to visit the theater again. We’re living in an era that dance performances are not as unfamiliar as watching the plays or musicals.,” she said. “Don’t think that dance is a difficult genre and just enjoy dance performances.”

The international dance festival will be held from May 25 to June 13 at the Arko Arts Center in Jongno-gu, National Theater of Korea in Jung-gu, and the Mary Hall at Sogang University. The choreography by Ahn Seong-soo and Ahn Eun-min, who are Han Ye-ri’s favorite choreographers, will also be performed at the MODAFE.


pep@donga.com