“A Moment for Armored Hearts to Pause and Breathe” 

‘Crocodile Herd: Through the Jungle Forest’ is a performance that takes the image of a “herd of crocodiles” as its motif, metaphorically portraying the lives of adults navigating the present day. It depicts individuals who, in order to survive within a jungle-like society, put on their own hardened shells and endure each passing day. The narrative voice of gugak artist Choi Ye-Rim, combined with the intense and multidimensional sound of Dongyang Gozupa, brings both inner tenderness and the tension of the outer world vividly to the stage. Moving through a flow of defense, anxiety, collision, fracture, and consolation, the performance reveals the soft inner layers and warmth hidden beneath rigid exteriors. Through this, the audience is invited to reflect on how they, too, have been living within their own shells, and to recognize that others carry the same guarded hearts. Ultimately, this performance offers a brief moment of rest and comfort—allowing those who have endured the intensity of life to pause, catch their breath, and rediscover a sense of shared warmth.