The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theater's acclaimed production "One Dance" returns to the stage this weekend, bringing together 49 dancers in a breathtaking display of perfect synchronization. The blockbuster show, which has become the company's signature piece since its 2022 premiere, requires such precise coordination that even the smallest mistake by a single performer can disrupt the entire illusion of unity.
In rehearsal studios at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, every detail receives meticulous attention as dancers prepare for their latest run. The performers adjust not only the tilt of their heads and direction of their gaze, but also calibrate prop angles, shoulder slopes, and row spacing with millimeter precision, as if drawing invisible straight lines across the floor.
"'One Dance' is so perfectly synchronized that the dancer who makes a mistake becomes the main character," explained Oh Jeong-yun, the company's associate principal dancer. "We joke among ourselves that whoever slips becomes the star of the night." Of course, no performer wants that unwanted spotlight after months of grueling rehearsals devoted to achieving perfect unison.
The production's Korean title "Ilmu" literally means "to dance in unison," capturing both the ambition and burden of this demanding work. First staged in 2022, "One Dance" reinterprets ceremonial dance from Jongmyo jeryeak, a royal performance of song, music and dance performed during ancestral rites that UNESCO has recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The large-scale production brought together leading figures from across Korea's dance scene. Fashion designer-turned-creative director Jung Ku-ho took the helm, working alongside Korean dance specialist Jung Hye-jin, contemporary choreographer Kim Sung-hoon, and choreographer-composer Kim Jae-duk to create this ambitious work.
Since its premiere, "One Dance" has been performed annually and has achieved remarkable success both domestically and internationally. In 2023, the production traveled to Lincoln Center in New York, where the sold-out show earned standing ovations from American audiences. This year's Seoul run also sold out weeks in advance, demonstrating the work's continued popularity.
For the company's dancers, this success brings both satisfaction and pressure. "I'd say this is the most challenging work the company has performed. Even now, I sometimes find myself thinking, 'How did we manage this?'" said Oh, who joined the company in 2015 and has performed in every run since the premiere. "The choreography itself is demanding, and because the piece is composed entirely of ensemble work, its structure adds another layer of difficulty."
New company members face particularly intense challenges when tackling this complex production. Kim Gun-woo, 24, one of six new dancers admitted this year, shared his experience: "I saw this performance twice before joining the company, and I've been dying to try it. But I didn't realize how exact everything had to be – the angles, the timing, even the silences."
Both veteran and newcomer dancers agree that rehearsals are grueling and relentless experiences. Every pathway through sequence and space must be mapped precisely, determining not just where a dancer lands, but exactly how and when they arrive there. The intense repetition leaves muscles in knots, and rehearsal studios become thick with the scent of menthol patches used to relieve sore muscles.
Despite the physical demands, dancers describe developing an almost instinctual response to the choreography. The opening sequence unfolds in complete silence, with only a single beat as guidance. "There are moments when your mind goes blank. But your body remembers, and it responds," Oh explained. This surrender of individual identity becomes the essence of the work, as performers empty themselves to pour all their energy into something collective.
Both dancers emphasized feeling a profound sense of obligation toward their company, colleagues, and audiences. "We are professional dancers and members of the company. The company puts in enormous effort, and audiences are paying their time and money to see us. That means we can't make mistakes," Oh stated firmly.
Oh's most memorable moment came during the New York performance at Lincoln Center. "The entire hall rose like a wave. It was a sight to behold. The applause felt like it was literally pouring over me, and I couldn't stop myself from tearing up. That moment renewed my sense of purpose as a dancer," she recalled.
Kim expressed similar dedication despite being new to the company. "Getting into this company was already a huge source of pride, and I feel the weight of having to give everything on stage. The house is sold out again this year, and I can't be the one who makes a mistake and 'steals the show.'" He finds the 75-minute work particularly compelling because it traverses traditional dance, gendered forms, and contemporary invention, allowing audiences to "experience it all in one evening."
"One Dance" will run Friday through Sunday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. Following the Seoul performances, the production will travel to Gangneung Arts Center on August 29 and conclude at Daegu Arts Center on September 4-5, bringing this masterpiece of synchronized dance to audiences across South Korea.
