LEE Jong-Ho

Founder and Artistic Director of SIDance
(Seoul International Dance Festival)
President of Seoul Section of the Int’l Dance Council (CID-UNESCO)

Co-chairperson of AAPAF
(Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals)
Co-president, the Korean Association of Dance Critics and Researchers
Representative in Korea of Prix de Lausanne
Co-presenter of the HOTPOT: East Asia Dance Platform
Former Council Member of IOTPD
(International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers) Former Council Member of Asia Arts Net

Awards
Minister Award, ‘Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Korea’ (2007)
Award for ‘Developing International Dance Exchange’ by ‘The Modern Dance Association of Korea’ (Mar. 2007)
Chevalier dans l'ordre national des arts et des lettres awarded by French Government, first in Korean dance scene (Sep. 2007)
Special Prize for Dance Critics Award 2008 of The Korean Association of Dance Critics and Researchers (Jan. 2009)
Minister Award ‘Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea’ (Nov. 2012)
Special Award for Beautiful Dancer Award of Dancers Career Development Center of Korea (Nov. 2017)

Writings and Books
『Les spectateurs engagés』 Translation into Korean (Raymond Aaron, 1982, Seoul)
『Contemporary Dance Scenes in Korea』 Co-author
『International Dictionary of Modern Dance』 contribution, published in N.Y(1998)
『100 Years of Our Dance』 Co-author, 2001, Seoul
『Korean dancers of the 2002』 Seoul, Dance Forum, editorial member

LEE Jong-Ho studied French literature in Seoul National University and began his career in 1977 as a reporter at the "Courrier de la Corée," a French weekly published in Korea. From 1981 to 2009, he worked for Yonhap New Agency where his career in journalism prospered going through many titles, from the head of the City desk team and a correspondent in Brussels to the chief cultural editor and the vice president. He also contributed his own column on Art & Culture issues at Yonhap News Agency, and many several renowned South Korean Media.

At the same time, he has been active as a dance critic since the early 1980s. He is the representative of the "Maichoto Group," a dance-related forum that consists of critics, producers, directors, dance photographers, etc.

He established South Korea Chapter of International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO) in 1996 and led the success of the 13th CID-UNESCO General Assembly held in Seoul in 1998 and started SIDance (Seoul International Dance Festival), which has been held ever since every autumn and grown into the biggest comprehensive annual dance event in South Korea.

Other than being a dance journalist and president of Seoul Section of Int’l Dance Council CID-UNESCO, he has been involved in numerous dance-related projects and units, as he says “I do everything for dance, except for dancing myself.” He was a council member of IOTPD (International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers), deeply interested in improving the social and economic status of dance and dancers. Realizing the importance of regional cultural exchange, he intends to extend the Asian collaboration with various co-productions and networks as well as colloquiums. He is also an advisor for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Arts Council Korea, as well as a juror for various awards and numerous public funds.

Overseas, he served as a judge at festivals actively in various countries such as Masdanza in Spain for 3 years (2009, 2010, 2014), the 1st Caribbean Dance Biennale In Habana, the 2nd Warsaw Zawirowania Dance Competition in Poland (2016), and Premio Prospettiva Danza Teatro di Padova in Italy (2019). In addition, he was active in the broadcasting (Radio, Talk show Host on A&C channel, YTN News focus : LEE Jong-Ho’s Culture Week, etc) and Education (Dance Lecturer of Korea National University of the Arts and Guest Professor of Global Culture Contents at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) for 2009 in Korea.