Young Performing Artists Gather in the South Korean Mountains

 
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Young Performing Artists Gather in the South Korean Mountains

Park Jina, Head of Creative Community Team, Korea Arts and Culture Education Service (KACES)

10-02-2024

Festival of Dreams culminating performance.

“We are praised when we succeed, but also when we falter. This is how we grow and thrive in the Orchestra of Dreams.”
— Former participant in the Orchestra of Dreams, Pyeongchang Regional Hub

In August 2024, the Festival of Dreams brought together young artists from across South Korea to a camp held in the mountains of Pyeongchang province. The camp brought together members of the Youth Orchestra of Dreams and the Youth Dance Team of Dreams for the first time, and they united to form the Arts Group of Dreams. The three-day camp culminated in a joint performance that showcased their collective talents.

The collaboration between the orchestra and the dance team seemed challenging at first, but after extensive preparation, all 400 participants came together to create a remarkably large-scale performance–demonstrating that despite the differences in their artistic genres, unity through the arts is indeed possible.

The Youth Orchestra of Dreams
Community performance by Orchestra of Dreams.

The Orchestras of Dreams project began in 2010 as a KACES initiative to promote a “Korean El Sistema,” enabling children to learn cooperation and harmony through orchestral activities. The program has since expanded from eight regional hubs to 50 locations nationwide; it will celebrate its 15th anniversary next year. Many of the children who joined in 2010 are now adults, some enjoying music as a daily hobby, others participating in amateur orchestras, and some making their debuts as professional musicians or becoming professional educators themselves.   

The Orchestra of Dreams is distinctive not only for its musical instruction but also for its emphasis on the social value of community interaction and bonding. The “Feast of Dreams” is a key project that was launched as part of a post-COVID19 Community Recovery initiative, bringing performances to local communities in spaces such as parks, nursing homes, and apartment complexes. This initiative has become the flagship project of the Orchestras of Dreams program, with 37 performances nationwide this year. These events help young musicians feel more connected to their communities and create opportunities for them to give back through their performances. As the Orchestra of Dreams becomes more solidly rooted in local societies, it serves as a safe community platform fostering self-esteem, empowerment, and creativity among participants.

Looking ahead, the Orchestra of Dreams plans to deepen its engagement with local communities, evolving into a cultural education program that emphasizes self-reliance, growth, and community transformation. As it continues to uphold the Korean philosophy of El Sistema, the program is poised to celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2025 with renewed leadership and vision.

Dance Company of Dreams: Uniting Through the Art of Dance

Launched in 2022 as the dance counterpart to the Orchestra of Dreams, the Dance Team of Dreams became an official program in 2023. Reflecting Korea’s rich tradition as a “country of excitement,” the Dance Team of Dreams now offers dance education in 29 institutions nationwide, encompassing ballet, traditional Korean dance, modern dance, and street dance. Guided by the goal of “Dreaming Together in the World of Dance,” the program helps children and young people to grow by creating dances that tell their own stories. 

Dance Team of Dreams performing at Korea House during Paris Olympics.

In the summer of 2024, while the world was captivated by the Paris Olympics, ten members of the Dance Team of Dreams, wearing vibrant costumes inspired by traditional Korean attire, joined ten French youth dancers on stage at the Korea Day event in Paris. They performed together, receiving global applause. Despite language and cultural differences, the children used the universal language of dance to communicate and create a performance that showcased their dreams and talents.

Ahn Eun-mi, artistic director of the Dance Team of Dreams’ Gwanak Regional Hub and director of the workshop, said, “Although we called it dance education, we didn’t teach the children anything specific. It was a time to encourage them to play on stage, and to tell them that imagination is cool.” This statement encapsulates the philosophy and identity of the Dance Team of Dreams.

Introducing the Theaters of Dreams: Expanding the Vision
Theater of Dreams improvisation workshop.

Building on the success of the Orchestra of Dreams and the Dance Team of Dreams, a new initiative, the Theaters of Dreams, is set to launch this year. This project will draw on the talents of directors, writers, and actors from a variety of fields, including theater, musicals, and creative writing. The Theaters of Dreams will officially launch as a regular program in 2025, supporting children from a wide range of backgrounds to take active roles in performance creation of every kind, from acting and playwriting to directing and production.

The Festival of Dreams was the first project of the Arts Group of Dreams to merge music and dance. The journey that began with the Orchestra of Dreams has now expanded to include dance and theater, continuing to make a significant impact on communities across Korea.

*Instagram: @arte_dream / @arte_kaces

https://www.arte.or.kr/orchestrakids/english/info/index.do

Arts Group of Dreams, Ballet, Choreography, Collaboration, Community bonding, Community Engagement, Community performances, Creativity, Cross-cultural collaboration, Cultural education program, Dance Company of Dreams, Dance education, Directing, Empowerment, Festival of Dreams, KACES initiative, Korea Day, Korean El Sistema, Modern dance, Music Education, October 2024, Orchestra of Dreams, Paris Olympics, Park Jina, Performance creation, Playwriting, Post-COVID19 Community Recovery, Pyeongchang Regional Hub, Self-esteem, Street dance, Theater of Dreams, Traditional Korean dance, Youth Dance Team, Youth Orchestra

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