Northern California Korean Dance Association

Bay Area Asian/Asian-American/Pacific Islander Dance 2008

The Northern California Korean Dance Association, created in 2004 by artistic director Hearan Chung, fosters and develops Korean culture and dance as cultural exchange between Korea and other nationalities, local Korean immigrants, and Korean Americans.  By introducing Korean dance to diverse communities, Northern California Korean Dance Association hopes to increase awareness of Korean culture as well as foster collaborations with other ethnic groups.  In addition, the organization provides opportunities for local Korean immigrants and Korean Americans to connect with their cultural heritage and express themselves through the arts.

Hearan Chung has mastered various fields of Korean dance — including court, folk, and creative dance — beginning her training at age five.  She earned an MA from Ewha Women’s University, taught for over 20 years in Korean universities, and immigrated to the United States in 2000. She has choreographed over forty-six works of dance, published four theses, and has performed in eight countries.

In 2008, Northern California Korean Dance Association received a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program; in a project entitled “Death and the Spirit of Death,” Hearan Chung choreographed a work exploring the life cycle, a hallmark of traditional Korean dance.