By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Seattle’s MiYoung Seul Margolis didn’t start out as an extrovert. But through her devotion to study and the arts, she emerged as one.
“I grew up in South Korea,” said Margolis, who’s helping bring the O-Jak Bridge Art & Dance Festival to the Broadway Performance Hall on Nov. 14 and 15.
“I was a very quiet child, and some of my strongest memories are of spending hours with books and making up stories of my own. At school, my teachers often trusted me to help organize class activities. I liked being someone they could count on, and I enjoyed helping things come together behind the scenes.
“I loved drawing and painting, and from elementary school on, I was often chosen to represent my school in art competitions. As a teenager, I started writing poetry and fell in love with Puccini’s operas. I was fascinated by how music, costumes, and drama could tell one story together.”
She moved to Seattle in 2005, commenting that Korean culture was, back then, much less visible in American daily life. Today, it can be easily found through K-pop, Korean dramas, beauty, and food, among other things.
“Seattle’s cultural diversity makes these exchanges feel at home here. What I love is when someone comes for the dance or the art, gets caught up in the experience, and leaves feeling a little closer to Korean culture. Sometimes a story they’re hearing for the first time reminds them of something in their own life. That’s the kind of connection I hope to create.”
She launched the O-Jak Festival in 2022, taking its name Ojakgyo, the bridge in the Korean folktale of Gyeonwoo and Jiknyeo. In the story, the two lovers are separated by the Milky Way. Once a year, magpies and crows come together to form the O-Jak Bridge so the lovers can reunite.
“I imagined the festival as our own version of that reunion. For one day each year, we could come together across Eastern and Western cultures in a spirit of love, catch up with one another, and share our stories through dance and music.”
Each O-Jak Festival has a unique theme. For this year, it’s “Once Upon a Time,” blending that ancient story of Gyeonwoo and Jiknyeo, with Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” books. The three-act presentation includes several different dance troupes, plus several shifts in music.
Another aspect of O-Jak this year is the “Happily Ever After” visual art exhibit at Margolis’ Gallery B612, located in Pioneer Square’s Florentine Condominiums. Both the show and the exhibit “grew out of a question I love asking as an artist and curator: What happens when we take a familiar story and tell it in our own way? Onstage, we explore that through dance and music. At the gallery, artists explore it through painting, mixed media, and digital art. During both festival intermissions, we’ll show a video presentation of selected works from the exhibition on the theater screen. Audiences can then visit the gallery to see the works in person through January 2, 2027.”
Of course, every iteration of the festival involves challenges. “There’s always pressure around ticket sales. As an independent festival, we count on ticket revenue to help pay our artists and production team and cover the cost of the venue.
“At the same time, I want people to be able to afford to come. This year, we lowered ticket prices and offered free tickets to students from low-income households. Support from sponsors and community partners helped us keep the festival accessible, and we reached out directly to invite people to come and experience it.”
As for future projects, she stressed that the O-Jak Festival will return in November 2027. Before then, she’s planning a smaller O-Jak festival in the spring, featuring solos, duets, and small-group performances. Gallery B612 is also preparing for next summer’s Seattle Art Fair.
“Across these programs, I want to expand free access to performances, exhibitions, and workshops for students from low-income households. I’d also like to create more opportunities for professional and amateur artists to work together and for younger artists to find mentors and share their work. As the programs grow, I hope to work with local businesses so our events also support the neighborhoods that host us.”
The O-Jak Bridge Art & Dance Festival runs Nov. 14-15 at the Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway at Seattle Central College.
For prices, showtimes, and more information, visit https://www.ojakfestival.org/ojak-26-once-upon-a-time.
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