Adjunct Instructor Jiwon Ha will choreograph a performance at the Mainstage concert on Saturday, Oct. 18. Associate Professor of Dance Jen Guy Metcalf and Elon students will perform a piece on Nov. 7.
Adjunct Instructor Jiwon Ha and Associate Professor of Dance Jen Guy Metcalf are two of six choreographers featured at the North Carolina Dance Festival’s Mainstage concert in downtown Greensboro.
The Mainstage concert — “In Conversation” — kicks off the annual festival’s 35th year showcasing how movement can serve as a powerful meeting place for ideas and expression.
The Mainstage concert is Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Van Dyke Performance Space at 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Tickets are $10 and are available at the NCDF’s website.
Ha will present “Mun 문 (Gateway),” a group work blending influences of her Korean heritage with contemporary dance in a performance that opens a door into time and space. The performance explores the idea of transition, moving through thresholds of identity, culture and connection.
“In Korean, ‘mun’ means gateway which symbolizes passage, openness and the spaces we move through in life,” Ha said. “The work blends modern dance with influences from Korean movement traditions, using ideas of support and weight. This piece feels very personal to me because it reflects my own experience of living between two worlds and how we all continue to grow by stepping through new gateways.”
Ha has previously performed at the NCDF in 2024, but creating an NCDF-commissioned work for the main stage is a first.
“The North Carolina Dance Festival has always been such an inspiring space that celebrates creativity and a diverse community, and I am truly grateful to return this year to share this new piece,” Ha said.
At Elon, Ha’s research interests focus on exploring how traditional Korean and contemporary dance connect, using movement to bridge cultures. She is also interested in blending Korean dance fundamentals with modern forms to inspire cultural exchange and inclusivity in the arts.
Alongside Ha’s work will be performances choreographed by Stewart/Owen Dance from Asheville, Eric Mullis and Alyah Baker from Charlotte and Chania Wilson and Tara Mullins from Raleigh.
“These works ask us to witness dance as a living conversation — between past and present, between technology and the body, between personal stories and collective experience,” said Anne Morris, the festival’s director. “It’s an evening that will resonate deeply with audiences and open space for reflection, connection and imagination, whether you have lots of experience with dance or none at all.”
Metcalf will present her peer-reviewed work “The Light We Cannot See” with performances by Elon students on Nov. 7 at the Van Dyke Performance Space. This piece will also be presented at the Elon Fall Dance concert on Nov. 14-15 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15-16 at 2 p.m. in Roberts Studio Theatre.
Inspiration for the piece comes from Anthony Doerr’s book “All the Light We Cannot See,” a title that is a metaphorical suggestion of countless invisible stories still buried within World War II. The sound and musical score for this piece incorporates radio broadcasts from the 1940s during World War II.
“When I first created the piece in 2019, I met with Associate Professor of French Sophie Adamson, and she provided some spoken word in French which I recorded and incorporated in the audio,” Metcalf said.
Metcalf has worn many hats with the NCDF. She has presented concert dance work in 2011 and 2013. In 2015, she presented a dance film. Throughout the years, she has served as a teacher with other choreographers, teaching dance classes as part of the NCDF’s outreach program and the festivals photographer.
“It is an honor to have work selected for the North Carolina Dance Festival,” Metcalf said. “The festival was founded by one of my graduate school professors, Jan Van Dyke, and I’m grateful to be a part of the legacy she created.”
At Elon, Metcalf’s research interests include ballet pedagogy, dance technology and dance for individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease. Her creative research focuses on producing innovative choreography and dance film work.
The festival is produced by the Dance Project, a Greensboro non-profit focused on making dance accessible. It tours statewide shows featuring modern and contemporary choreography by North Carolinian artists, as well as workshops and discussions.
The festival is supported by the NC Arts Council, Andrew Bowen Studios, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Ecolab Foundation, Downtown Greensboro, Inc., and individual donors and sponsors.