2026 Seoul International Choreography Festival brings together dancers from around the world

On the cultural front.
Seoul is currently hosting an annual festival that has artists from six countries proving that choreography transcends the limits of language.
Park Chae-ryeong files this report.

A barefoot Finnish dancer circles a table with a white cloth wrapped around his waist.
Pulling a chair toward him, he hesitates before sitting down, his body expressing a sense of deep anguish.
In another performance, Korean dancers lift and intertwine with one another, exploring the human psyche through surreal movements.

The 2026 Seoul International Choreography Festival kicked off on Wednesday at the ARKO Arts Theater in Seoul.
The five-day festival brings together 15 works from six countries, including Finland, Spain, Slovenia, Cyprus, Hungary and South Korea.
Internationally acclaimed Finnish dancer Tero Saarinen, who performed on opening night, highlighted Korea's high technical standards and unique blend of traditional and contemporary dance.
"I'm very taken by the technical level and also that you're actually mixing old traditions with contemporary techniques, so there's a big variety of art of dance happening here in Korea."

Since its launch in 1992, the festival has promoted international exchanges in contemporary dance.
Organizers are also pursuing co-productions with Finland and Hungary, aiming to expand the festival's international reach.
SICF's Artistic Director Ahn Aesoon explained the significance of these efforts.
"With growing global interest in Korean culture, we aim to promote international collaboration, discover promising choreographers and bring their work to the global stage."


The festival also attracts international visitors, offering performances that cross cultural boundaries and appeal to those from different backgrounds.
"For me, I would be interested to see also very classic Korean performance but we choose could be a little bit not easy because culture is really different so my wife found thing which is international."

For international visitors like them, the festival offers a chance to discover another side of Seoul's vibrant cultural scene.


"With artists from around the world taking the stage here in Seoul, the festival aims to strengthen South Korea's position as a hub for international contemporary dance.
Park Chae-ryeong, Arirang News."

#SeoulInternationalChoreographyFestival #ContemporaryDance #SICF #Seoul #서울국제안무페스티벌 #현대무용 #SICF #서울 #arirangnews #아리랑뉴스