Photologue @theuostimes7
Recently, the TV program titled <Street Woman Fighter> drew great attention from the public. As a result, people have been interested in dance a lot, but they are not aware of the Korean traditional dances yet as the show only dealt with the Western genres. Therefore, The UOS Times would like to introduce some traditional dances of Korea today.
First, Talchum (mask dance, in English) is one of the most famous traditional dances. Koreans in the past danced wearing masks to thank for the successful harvest in fall and to pray for another bumper crop. Later, various masks were widespread among civilians in the Joseon Dynasty. Talchum became their way to satirize the corrupted aristocratic class that was incompetent and promiscuous. It is known as a popular performance of the dancers, but audiences could actually join the performances freely to relieve stress and wish for happiness.
Another famous traditional dance is Buchaechum (fan dance, in English). Its choreography that requires fans usually includes the composition that brings up the image of the rose of Sharon, which is the Korean national flower. Likewise, most themes of Buchaechum are related to nature and everyday life. Dancers’ exquisite moves with their fans that describe strikingly beautiful parabolas are praiseworthy.
Lastly, Ganggangsullae is the dance registered as UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage in 2009. Young women, who had to stay home most of the days, came outside at night of Chuseok (Thanksgiving Day, in English) to dance in a circle, holding each other’s hands and singing out loud under the full moon. Ganggangsullae was named after the lyric of the song, which is about praying for prosperity. This dance was also used to chase away the enemy during the war since its move appeared as a huge crowd from a distance, successfully deluding the number of the soldiers.
The UOS Times hopes for more attention to such meaningful Korean traditional dances, which represent Korean cultures and history, in addition to other dance genres.