TERMINAL, 2017

A journey towards finding certainty in a modern world where everything is uncertain.

Using the metaphorical space of a “Terminal”, where the starting point and the destination are clear cut, I want to question the continuous movement and change of paths as we go through life. Curious about where a human’s self awareness can take us, this piece is also an exploration of my various reactions towards external stimulus that are not within my control. It is a story that is made up of moments, reconnecting with my inner child to overcome the uncertainties that life throws at me.

” TERMINAL  Concept & Movement Method “

• Explores the past and present through space and memory.

My object concept is curved. It is inspired by a railway track—the entrance of a tunnel. It is a door that we pass by countless times in our daily lives.

It is intended to expand body space.

The terminal is both a geological space and a changing space as you move within the body. It is fixed because it is geological, but its mood changes when people go in and out. This transforms the space of the geological location.

Because of people, the space becomes alive. Without people, the geological space is considered dead space.

The concept focuses on the beginning and the end of the terminal—the darkness and the light in the tunnel, the past and the present. There are three signs of the terminal.

The choreography concept includes crossing movement, passing through, and curved movement. There are three major movements: crossing, passing, and curve/circulation.

Crossing or intersection represents the encounter between the past and the present. In the terminal, people pass by each other, expressing the darkness of the tunnel, because they do not look at one another. This shows a sense of arrogance or disconnection, as people are focused on their own objectives.

Afterward, daily life continues, moving again from beginning to end.

There are different expressions, explanations, and various concepts within the composition of the dance.

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These dualities are embodied in the tunnel: darkness represents introspection, memory, and isolation, while light suggests emergence, awareness, and continuation.

The choreography is structured around three primary movements:

• Crossing (Intersection) – Represents encounters between past and present, self and others. It reflects moments of connection or collision within shared space.
• Passing Through – Evokes the tunnel experience where individuals move past one another without acknowledgment, revealing a quiet detachment or indifference shaped by routine.
• Curve / Circulation – Symbolizes repetition and the ongoing cycle of daily life, where beginnings and endings continuously fold into each other.
  Within the terminal, people often avoid eye contact, absorbed in their own trajectories. This creates an emotional landscape of distance and “arrogance,” where individuals prioritize personal (purpose) over shared presence. Yet, through repetition, life continues—moving endlessly between departure and arrival.

Ultimately, Terminal is not just a space, but a living choreography of human behavior, where architecture, movement, and emotion intersect to reveal how we exist together—yet often alone—within the same passage.

2025. 06.16 [TERMINAL] USA, Seattle International Dance Festival
@Performance Broadway Art Theater

2024. 10.06  [TERMINAL]  Seoul International Choreography Dance Festival-INTANK
@Cultural Reserve Tank 1 Pavilion

2019. 10.19 [TERMINAL] (20 min) Selected by Daejeon Gyeryongsan International ‘Dance’ Festival
@GyeRyongSan Outdoor Stage

2019. 05.04-05 [TERMINAL] (30 min) Ansan International Street Theater Festival Selected as Korea invited performance team @Ansan Street Plaza

2018. 10.07 [TERMINAL] (20 min)
2018 SIDANCE-Seoul International Dance Festival HOTPOT: Korea1. Choice Performance.
@KOCCA Culture Theater

2018. 08.10-11-12 [TERMINAL] (20 min)
Invitation Performance in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Promotional art support project
@Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, DPAC Theater.

2017.10.14 [TERMINAL] (20 min)
Seoul Dance Center x Seoul Art Market Link Showcase @ Seoul Dance Center Black Box
Theater

2017. 9.2-3 [TERMINAL] (45 min)
Seoul Foundation for Arts & Culture – Support for promising arts ‘DoT ‘
For 2 years – Selected Artists, Choreography and
Performances @Platform Art Center LiveHall

– Review –

The choreographer contrasts the space of the ‘terminal’, where only the unfamiliar encounter, departure, and arrival are clear, with the daily lives of modern people. A work that deals with self-awareness in search of one’s own path of movement or coordinates in modern civilization full of uncertainty and indeterminacy. The image of a curve was used in the movement and objects to give the image of circulation and repetition. The choreographer’s working method, which focuses on the study of the body and movement, is well revealed in the concrete movement and thematic consciousness.
Written by: Jehwan Jeong (Doctorate in Dance, Temple University/Professor, Korea National University of Arts)