국립무용단 ‘제의’ CEREMONY64, National Dance Company of Korea

I'd like to know about Ritual Dance

Ritual dance has continued and bloomed steadily in many aspects and cultures in Korea. Let’s take a look at the essence of the Korean ritual dance

Q What is ritual dance?
A Ritual dance refers to a dance performed at various ceremonies related to agriculture, religion, national events, and others. It includes all kinds of dances performed for many different occasions, from the group dances of ancient jecheonuirye (ritual to worship to the sky) and ritual dances performed before and after the war, and to the dances at the events organized by the state these days. The dance of religious rituals has different forms and contents, depending on the characteristics of each religion. For example, Christian ritual dance includes relatively more significant dance moves to describe the Bible stories in detail. Confucian ritual dance, Ilmu, which was performed at the court ceremonies, has distinct dance moves with formality. Buddhist ritual dance refers to all dances based on the teachings of Buddha, and it intends to dedicate hearts to Buddha by using gestures, as an extension of offerings. Ritual dance has been transformed and permeated into different cultures, and continues its history to form its own unique culture today.

Q What kinds of ritual dances are there?
A First of all, there is Ilmu. It is a dance performed with Jongmyo Jeryeak - court music played at Jongmyo Jerye, a rite held worshipping the late kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. Ilmu literally means line dance, as dancers form lines (rows) when they dance. Based on the yin and yang theory, ilmu can be divided into two distinct styles, munmu and mumu. Munmu is a dance praising the meritorious civil achievements of previous kings, and mumu is a dance to extoll the military successes. The Buddhist ritual dances handed down at temples include barachum, nabichum, tajuchum, and beopgochum. They are also called as Jakbeopmu, as Jakbeop means to create cosmic law and order in honor of Buddha during various rituals. Barachum has both static and dynamic elements, as it is composed of still moves of holding bara (Korean cymbals) and dynamic moves of moving forward, backward, or twirling after playing bara loudly. Nabichum is named after its choreography and costume, which resemble the appearance of nabi (butterfly), with the colorful hats and Buddhist monks’ robes with long sleeves. Holding peonies in hands, dancers of nabichum show quiet and graceful moves like the wings of a butterfly. Tajuchum is a dance of two monks holding tajuchae on both sides. Beopgochum is performed by one dancer, unlike the three dances above. It is a dance that wishes the world and public to hear the sound of beopgo (a drum that disseminates the Buddha's teachings) and reach the state of nirvana.

Q Please tell me how to appreciate ritual dance.
A The ritual dance is a cultural heritage that must be preserved and inherited as it has the unique characteristics and meanings while thriving in different cultures. However, it is difficult for us to understand as it comes with rituals far from today’s daily life. It requires us to have basic understandings to learn the meanings and beauty of different cultures. Those understandings will guide us when we appreciate the significance and beauty of the magnificent religious rituals of Buddhist dance or dances of the Jongmyo ritual at the Confucian shrine. When you encounter ritual dance as a traditional intangible heritage, having some understanding of the meanings and teachings of the rituals would help you to respect and appreciate the solemnness of the ritual dance. When we appreciate Buddhist ritual dances such as barachum, nabichum, and beopgochum, we could reflect on the value of the dance that comes with a long history of Korean Buddhism. While watching ilmu, the ritual dance of worshipping the late kings of the Joseon Dynasty, we could think of its significance as the intangible cultural property. Then we would understand why it should be preserved and transmitted in its original form. Sometimes, these ritual dances are reinterpreted and presented in modern terms. It is to create new dance works based on the meaning and form of traditional ritual dance. While we appreciate the recreated stage of it, we could think of how contemporary artists reinterpreted and reconstructed ritual dance as a completely independent performance and not as part of rituals. Then we would be able to understand what new values the performance has and how it communicates with the modern audience.

Written by Sujin Yim Director of Dance & Media Research Institute. Former chief editor of Dance Magazine MOMM
Translated by Songhee Han