REPUBLICAN STATE ACADEMIC KOREAN THEATRE
Biography
The Republican State Academic Korean Theatre of Musical Comedy was opened in 1932 in Primorsky Krai in the Far East and was called the Far East Regional Korean Theater. It was the only Korean theatre in the USSR and throughout the world outside the Korean Peninsula. As a result of the deportation in 1937, the FRKT settled in Kazakhstan (Kzyl-Orda). The theatre was transformed into the Kzyl-Orda Regional Korean Music and Drama Theatre (1937-1942).
1942-1959 - the theatre is located in Ush-Tobe, 1959-1968 - returns to Kzyl-Orda.
December 1962 - the theatre is renamed as the Korean Music and Drama Theatre. In 1968 it was transferred to Alma-Ata and became a theatre of musical comedy. In 1982, in connection with the 50th anniversary and "For merits in the development of Soviet theatrical art", the theatre was awarded the “Badge of Honor” Order. In 2017, the theatre was given the status of "academic".
The main mission of the team is to maintain national traditions and enrich them through interaction with other peoples. The theatre employs dramatic actors, vocalists and a ballet troupe. In 1960-1988, the variety ensemble "Arirang" successfully worked in the theatre - artistic leader V. Kim, chief conductor E. Bogushevsky; chamber ensemble "Meari" (1989) under the direction of G. Son; the folk ensemble of percussion instruments "Samul nori" is popular (1993).
Among the national drama in the repertoire of the theatre, the plays written on the basis of Korean fairy tales, legends and musical dramas take special place, which always include dances, scenes with ritual games, festive performances of wandering comedians - kwande. Vocal and choreographic compositions, humorous and comedic dance numbers always adorn the concerts, giving them the character of a folk performance. The concert at the Decade of Kazakh Literature and Art in Moscow (1958) became significant event in the creative life of the theatre. For the first time, the classical Korean dances "Sword Dance" ("Kommu"), "Dance with Fans", "Dance with Drums" ("Hansami Chum"), "Shepherd and Girl" ("Sang Mu") choreographed by the guest choreographer Ra Sook Hee were presented at the concert.
Concert programs in which the choreographic group takes part can be referred as creative reports, which contain vocal, dance, poetic numbers created over a certain period, or program numbers united by one theme. They include theatrical performances, performances-concerts: "Salem, Salem, Salem!": "Zheruyik"; "Ledum flowers in the steppe region"; "Between Heaven and Earth" (director E. Kim, choreographer L. Kim, composer G. Yun); "Bound by one fate"; Dance-music-drum show "Kaleidoscope"; "The Melody Born by the Wind" (choreographic composition); “Morning freshness in the Alatau mountains" (a theatrical performance in the genre of a fantasy performance); musical and plasticity performance "Az- and - IA" (choreographer L. Kim, A. Tsoi, 2021); plasticity and dramatic performance "Koblandy" (choreographer A. Tsoi, E. Pen, 2022); “For the sake of life on earth” (choreographer L. Kim, A. Tsoi, 2022); plasticity performance "INO" (choreographed by D. Smailov, 2023); “The Heart of a Beauty” (choreographed by A. Tsoi, 2023); etc.
The theatre team participated in the 28th World Winter University Games, "EXPO-2017", the International Theatre Festival "Isabekov's World in London". Developing in line with the unified ethno-cultural policy of Kazakhstan, the Korean theatre preserves its national flavor, identity and language.
A significant contribution to the development of the repertoire was made by the main ballet masters of the theatre R. Kim (Lee) (1969-2006); L.V. Kim (2006-2022); choreographers N. Kim, A. Li, as well as guest ballet masters the People’s Artist of USSR G. Izmailova, Honored Artist of the Uzbek SSR Khvan Denok, director-ballet master from Moscow B. Zavyalov, Honored art figure of the Kazakh SSR Z. Raibayev, director-choreographer Zh. Baidaralin. Since September 2022, the chief ballet master of the theatre is A. V. Tsoi.