GRAVITY by Ryu and Friends – A Festival of Korean Dance 2026

Swept up by an invisible force, an eleven-strong company shakes, scatters and spins in a spectacular extraterrestrial dance.

GRAVITY is a work about relationships between all matter; the push and pull, the chaos, the harmony, the awe and the grace, of life in the universe. Experimental choreographer Jang-hyun Ryu stages a universe in motion where energy mutates, transforms and sets alight, configured through dynamic interactions, floating orbs and a tremorous, otherworldly soundscape. Experience the extraordinary skill and energy of this celebrated Korean company, performing in the UK for the first time.

About Ryu and Friends

Jang-hyun Ryu is fast developing a reputation for his daring and mischievous choreographic work which draws inspiration from theatre, film and music as well as traditional Korean dance.

As the Artistic Director of Ryu and Friends, he reconfigures mundane, daily life into surprising and fresh movement shot through with an unmistakable sense of humour. He calls himself ‘a man building the bodies’, speaking to his company’s belief that each individual carries unlimited potential, which can be activated through dance. The company’s previous works include BLACK (2024), CONOLOGUE (2022), Tragos Ode (2021), Metamorphosis (2019), I Don’t Want to Die (2019), A Girl with Many Wrinkles (2018), Fresh-caught Dance(2017), Adrenaline Drive (2017), On Top of the Blade (2016), Jokes (2016) and PIANO (2013).

Cast and Creatives

Director & Choreographer & Sound: Jang-hyun Ryu

Lightning Design: Ji-hye Kan

Costume Design: Kyung-sool Bae

Producers: Jung-eun Lee, Jung-hyun Park

Credits

Part of A Festival of Korean Dance 2026, presented by The Place and the Korean Cultural Centre UK, in partnership with Lowry, Tramway, Dance City and Pavilion Dance South West, and supported by SIDance and MODAFE.

Content Awareness: This performance contains haze and fire.

Find out more info or book your tickets on https://theplace.org.uk/book/instance/834636