A ballerina wearing a gat, a traditional Korean horsehair hat. A ballerino with a flowing dopo robe and a conical satgat on his head.
A creative ballet titled "GAT," inspired by traditional Korean hats, is generating buzz in the dance world. Produced by Yunbyeol Ballet Company, a private troupe, the work has sold out performances nationwide this year following its success last year. The production has drawn particular attention as a collaboration between young ballerino Yunbyeol and choreographer Park So-yeon.
Ahead of a June 28 performance at Mapo Art Center, Yunbyeol, head of the company, spoke at Jackson Art Hall in Yangjae-dong. "We used tradition as our subject matter, but rather than foregrounding narrative and emotion, we focused on conveying beauty, sentiment and imagery," he said. "Gat hats appear frequently in historical dramas, yet Koreans themselves often fail to fully appreciate their own aesthetic heritage. I think the positive response came from presenting familiar traditional material in a sensory, refined way through contemporary ballet."
The project began with the Netflix drama "Kingdom." During the COVID-19 pandemic, when Yunbyeol's dream of joining an overseas ballet company was dashed, he took up the challenge of original choreography with ideas from choreographer Park So-yeon. "My foreign friends showed great interest in the scenes where each character appeared wearing a different hat," he said. "It started with the thought, 'What if a ballerina danced wearing a gat?' The first piece created was a seven-minute female heungnip (black gat) section."
The work gradually expanded from there. The highlight heungnip section is divided into female and male ensemble pieces. The male ensemble expresses the integrity and elegance of Joseon-era scholars, while the female ensemble conveys a distinctive energy. Various traditional hats — jurip (military officer's hat), jokduri (ceremonial women's headpiece), satgat (conical straw hat) and others — represent different social classes, situations and emotions. The jurip section embodies the dignity and restraint of military officers, while the satgat section captures the solitude and freedom of a wanderer who has left the secular world. Last year, a paengi (commoner's hat) section was added, bringing a festive folk-dance energy to the stage. The work comprises 10 short omnibus pieces, a format that resonates well with younger audiences accustomed to short-form content.
