RAWALPINDI: A traditional Korean performing arts troupe, Gwangdae, gave a stunning performance at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) Tuesday night.

The RAC and the Korean embassy had jointly organised the performance as part of efforts to strengthen cultural linkages between the Koreans and Pakistanis.

The event featured performances by the Gwangdae, which is a Korean traditional performance arts troupe.

The troupe creates modern dances incorporated with traditional folk arts such as the Talchum which is a mask dance drama, Pungmul, a folk percussion ensemble and Namsadang, an all-male vagabond clown play.

The performance started with a traditional dance called Pangut in which the artists played various instruments while they danced.

The Lion Dance received generous applause from the audience. A performer wearing a lion mask played tricks and also engaged with the audience. By adding theatrical elements to the original lion dance, the troupe created the ambiance of a Korean city on the stage.

The Malddugi dance included the formal balance and connection of three principal elements of the cosmos including heaven, earth and humans. It expressed Malddugi’s struggle for human equality and his desire for restoring balance.

Then followed a Sogo drumming performance. Sogo is a small drum with a wooden handle and leather stretched on both sides and is used in farmers’ dances and band music.

Beona Nori took elements from traditional vagabond clown theatre and was followed by Yeoldubal Sangmonori or the tasselled hat play. The performer was wearing a hat, called Sangmo, with a long spinning tassel and which is 12 times longer than the length of an outstretched arm.

The performers earned a standing ovation.

Korean Ambassador Kwak Sung-Kyu said he was pleased to introduce the residents of Rawalpindi to a traditional performing arts troupe from Korea.

He said the performance originated from the Goseong Ogwandae Play, a mask dance drama of five clowns, which has been widely performed in Goseong, the southern province of the Korean peninsula since the late 19th Century.

“It was neither the story of royal court nor the upper noble class. But it was performed in the market place among commoners in the rural area. So, it reflects daily life of the under-class people. Of course, its themes focus on cynical satire against the ruling class and sometimes immoral monks,” he said.

He expressed hope that an increasing number of cultural exchanges would take place in Pakistan and in Korea as well in the days to come.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018