Korea Week: Seoul dancers perform
Published Oct. 3, 2006
When the curtain went up at Jesse Auditorium, the Korean performers were ready. Men wearing streamer-sprouting hats pranced, women in bright colors with feathered fans spun, and a man twirled a plate on a stick.
As part of the third annual Korea Week, the Seoul Performing Arts Company took over the auditorium on Monday. The company traveled from Seoul for Korea Week.
"I've seen shows like this back in Korea, and these are really great dancers," said Kyoung-Min Kim, Korean Student Association vice president.
"There were more people than I expected," freshman Han Jang said.
The company, which was created in 1986, exists to promote awareness of Korean culture through dance and song.
The dancers incorporated the audience into their act. A performer came off of the stage and let a child in a Boy Scout uniform try to twirl a plate on a stick. The boy could not keep the plate spinning, but the audience applauded him anyway. As a reward, the man gave him a toy.
The first floor of the auditorium was full, but the balcony was unoccupied. The attendance was about the same as last year's, Kyoung-Min Kim said.
"We wanted to fill the auditorium, but I'm happy with the turnout and the continued support and interest," said Sang Kim, director of the MU Asian Affairs Center.
Sang Kim said that going to an entertaining event is a more alluring way of learning about Korean culture than reading about it in a book.
"We want to change the image of Korea by conjuring other areas of the culture," he said.
The Korea Student Association is sponsoring a week-long event to teach the MU community more about Korean traditions, clothes, food and games, Kyoung-Min Kim said.
"Through different imagery, we are trying to promote more than the Korean War," Sang Kim said. Although the war is a big part of Korea's history, he said he wants Americans to know that Korea has more to offer.
