Sep 16, 2009
The festival aims to bring together Koreans, Americans and all members of the community in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area to celebrate the dynamic and harmonious Korea-US relationship. Many aspects of Korea's vibrant and unique culture will be on display in the form of music, dance, food, and other on-stage performances to encourage interaction between local communities. Notable performers include the young starlet Song So Hee, break-dancing group GamblerCrew, diversified dance group Kaba Modern, Korean traditional dances, and guest celebrity appearances by The Blue and Park Mi Kyung.
The KORUS Festival takes place around the time of the traditional Korean holiday Chuseok, a holiday of thanksgiving that celebrates the beginning of the autumn harvest. This year¡¯s opening ceremony will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 18. Attending will be elected officials from the federal, state and local levels, diplomats from the embassy community, and leaders in the business, social, and academic fields.
The KORUS Festival is hosted by the Korean Embassy¡¯s KORUS House and the Korean American Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Korea Daily newspaper, Korea Times newspaper, AM1310, K1-TV, and the Washington American Broadcasting System.
Admission is free and open to the public. The festival will be held at 4251 John Marr Drive, Annandale, VA, 22003 in the front lot of the K-Mart, from 6-10 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
GamblerCrew
Astounding the world with explosive moves and complex break dancing moves, GamblerCrew is a Korean b-boy team aiming for the top. Since their formation, GamblerCrew has won numerous competitions, which include the Battle of the Year Korea, Battle of the Year International, BBoy Hodown 2006, the R16 International, and the Olympic Trophée. While dominating in these contests of stamina, strength, and will, they are most well known for their flawless performance in the Battle of the Year in 2004. GamblerCrew is also known for its combination moves and incredible power moves. These are said to be the key to their success and have thus far been instrumental in preparing the group for the World Stage.
As part of a break dancing outreach program, GamblerCrew has created several instructional breaking videos for Korean television on the ENT station. They have also starred in a number of TV commercials and are now opening a Break-dancing Academy called the U.V. dance academy, where they plan to spread break dancing to China. Most recently, GamblerCrew won the coveted 2008 R16 Korea Sparkling World BBoy Championship.
Kaba Modern
Representing dance from the U.S. west coast and known for its diverse dance style and solid choreography, Kaba Modern is one of the most cutting edge hip-hop dance crews in California. Kaba Modern began at the University of California, Irvine, under the Filipino-American club Kababayan, whose name means countrymen/countrywomen. Arnel Calvario established the dance group in 1992 for the hip hop portion of Kababayan¡¯s annual Philipino cultural night. Since then, the group has expanded, embracing other ethnicities into the group. The group has performed in many multinational dance competitions and gained wide media coverage. Kaba Modern has given many award-winning performances at competitions such as Bust-A-Groove, Bodyrock, Fusion, and Vibe. On the international scene, they received second place at the US nationals and third place in the world for the 2008 Hip Hop International Dance competition. Recently, Kaba Modern was featured as one of the final crews on the hit MTV show America¡¯s Best Dance Crew. The group continues to expand its fan base in countries around the world.
Park Mi Kyung
With a powerful voice and moves, singing legend Park Mi Kyung has been a household name in Korea for years. Debuting after winning the 1985 River Singing Competition, she has released a total of 7 solo albums and won numerous, awards including two coveted Golden Disc Awards. Park is often noted for her powerful vocals and wide range along with her exciting stage presence.
The Blue
The Blue is the musical collaboration between the acting/singing duo of Mr. Son Ji Chang and Mr. Kim Min Jong, now in a revival of the 1990s hit group. The Blue is known for a soft rock vibe including moving songs and melodious vocals that combine to form a pleasant listening experience. The duo has just reunited in 2008 after 13 years, exciting many fans of their music.
