A stage bringing together 37 masters of traditional Korean dance will open at Cecil Theatre in Jeong-dong, Seoul, starting in April.
The National Jeongdong Theater announced on the 1st that it will present performances at Cecil Theatre under the theme "Cecil Pungnyu – Moment of Deukmu (得舞)" beginning April 29. The series runs every Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. for a total of six performances through mid-May.
The "Cecil Pungnyu" series launched in 2023 with the aim of promoting Korean traditional dance at Cecil Theatre. In its first year, the series featured traditional dances by master dancers. In 2024, it highlighted the trajectory of modern and contemporary creative dance. Last year, it explored dance worlds that transcend the lineage of teachers.
This year's keyword is "Moment of Deukmu," gathering dancers active across the country. The opening performance on April 29 presents works including salpuri dance under the theme "Flowers Blooming in the Snow." Works showcasing the primal power and vitality of traditional dance take the stage, including Hong Ji-young's "Ga… Dahda," Park Yeon-sul's "Hwieosalpuri," and Yoon Jong-hyun's "Seoul Mudang Dance." The May 1 performance features Kim Yeon-jeong's "Taepyeongchum" and Park Jong-pil's "Deotbaegichum" under the subtitle "Wings of Dance."
On May 6, hallyang dance, hyangjin dance, and various forms of salpuri dance will be performed. The show gathers works that delicately express emotions such as excitement and longing. The May 8 performance focuses on breath and flow. It emphasizes the natural continuity of movement through buchae dance and deotbaegi dance, revealing the aesthetic texture of traditional dance.
Dances that layer contemporary sensibility onto traditional frameworks can be seen at the May 13 performance. Gyobang dance, heoteun dance, and creative works come together to explore the expanding possibilities of traditional dance. The final performance on May 15 ties the entire series together. Various dances unfold their accumulated meaning within a cyclical structure as a grand finale, featuring sogo dance, sinawi dance, hallyang dance, and seonsalpuri dance.
The participating dancers are also notable. They include Chae Hyang-sun, a certified practitioner of seungmu and salpuri dance designated as national intangible cultural heritage, as well as Bok Mi-kyung, artistic director of the dance troupe at the National Busan Gugak Center, and Park Yeon-sul, an operating committee member of the Jeju Provincial Dance Company. Dancers representing various regions and disciplines take part.
"We have prepared a stage where audiences can feel the depth and vitality of traditional dance amid the energy of spring," said Jeong Seong-suk, director of the National Jeongdong Theater. "Through the performances of artists who have built their own dance worlds through years of training, audiences will be able to experience the present state of Korean dance." Tickets are available through the National Jeongdong Theater website and NOL Ticket.
