Choi Seung-hee (Korean: ìµœìŠ¹í ¬; November , â€" August , ) was a
leading Korean modern dancer. Choi is an important figure of early
modern dance in Korea, Japan and China who gained worldwide fame in
the s.Choi was born into a yangban-class family in Seoul, Korea during
the colonial period, and was also known by the Japanese pronunciation
of her name, Sai ShÅ ki. Despite the Japanese policy of SÅ shi-kaimei,
a policy of changing Korean names to Japanese names, she retained her
Korean family name of Choi. Sai is the Japanese pronunciation of the
Chinese character for Choi, and was not considered Japanese. When she
was a child, her family faced financial trouble after their lands were
taken away by the Japanese. Their only income came from her brother
Choi Seung-il's manuscripts.After graduating from Sookmyung High
School at the age of fifteen, she tried to become a teacher to help
her family financially. She passed seventh amongst applicants, but
was rejected due to her age. She was told to return a year later.Her
brother, Choi Seung-il, suggested her to join Bac Ishii to learn the
art of dance. Bac Ishii was a prominent Japanese modern dance and
ballet dancer (and the father of Kan Ishii who became an actor and a
classical composer during the s-s) She was mesmerized by Bac Ishii's
performance, especially at his expressions of darkness and torment.
Ishii accepted Choi, and even offered to teach her for free and send
her to music school. After Choi gained her parents' reluctant
permission, she left for Japan with Ishii, his wife, his sister, and
his students on the next day on March , .
leading Korean modern dancer. Choi is an important figure of early
modern dance in Korea, Japan and China who gained worldwide fame in
the s.Choi was born into a yangban-class family in Seoul, Korea during
the colonial period, and was also known by the Japanese pronunciation
of her name, Sai ShÅ ki. Despite the Japanese policy of SÅ shi-kaimei,
a policy of changing Korean names to Japanese names, she retained her
Korean family name of Choi. Sai is the Japanese pronunciation of the
Chinese character for Choi, and was not considered Japanese. When she
was a child, her family faced financial trouble after their lands were
taken away by the Japanese. Their only income came from her brother
Choi Seung-il's manuscripts.After graduating from Sookmyung High
School at the age of fifteen, she tried to become a teacher to help
her family financially. She passed seventh amongst applicants, but
was rejected due to her age. She was told to return a year later.Her
brother, Choi Seung-il, suggested her to join Bac Ishii to learn the
art of dance. Bac Ishii was a prominent Japanese modern dance and
ballet dancer (and the father of Kan Ishii who became an actor and a
classical composer during the s-s) She was mesmerized by Bac Ishii's
performance, especially at his expressions of darkness and torment.
Ishii accepted Choi, and even offered to teach her for free and send
her to music school. After Choi gained her parents' reluctant
permission, she left for Japan with Ishii, his wife, his sister, and
his students on the next day on March , .
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