Korean dramas have recently explored a wide range of combinations between music and dance.

In 2006, Hwang Jin Yi (KBS2) depicted with great authenticity the strive to perfection of a courtesan to become the nation’s most brilliant traditional dancer ever.

Fast-forward, almost 10 years later, and Kpop is populating the space of TV dramas previously focused on emphasizing South Korea’s great cultural heritage: from its origins with tvN’s flashback to the 1990s in Reply 1997 to today’s highly competitive music world, with young performers trying to break through in Mnet’s Persevere Goo Hae-Ra. Music is also the focus of the KBS-DramaFever coproduction, Tomorrow Cantabile, in which two pianists develop a bond through classical music.

Although music and dance often go together, Korean dramas usually lean towards the former, and more particularly singing – even in KBS2’s Trot Lovers which brings to the screen a folk musical genre usually never tackled in TV dramas.

Such lack of depiction does not help the awareness of the weakest link of this duo, and in particular the most recent evolution of it: contemporary dance. Maybe it won’t be long before cable television deals with it, as topics tend to be more and more specific to cater to increasingly segmented audiences.

In the meantime, you can enjoy a live contemporary dance performance by the K-Arts Dance Company at London’s Laban Theatre on Wednesday 28 January from 7:30pm. Three pieces will make their UK premiere: Hommage (Bow), Reflection and No Comment.

Hommage (Bow) explores the intent and the beauty in the gesture of bowing in Eastern Culture, Reflection the moments of connection we experience in life are reflected in illusions of the body and No Comment looks at the way silence can speak volumes, with use of minimalism, skill and strength in the Korean tradition.

If you feel like hearing about the current cultural trends and landscape in contemporary dance and choreography, with the possibility to hear from both Korean and British specialists, stay after the performance. High profile guests are expected such as the choreographer of the Incheon Asian Games 2014 (Hahn Sun-suk), the dance programmer of the Seoul Performing Arts Festival (Oh Sun-myung) and specialists from the Korean National University of Arts. The panel will be moderated by Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance’s Director of Dance, Mirella Bartrip.

Entry to the symposium is free to all. The Laban Theatre Bar will be open for drinks between the performance and the symposium.

RSVP to KCCUK at 0207 004 2600 or info@kccuk.org.uk