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Korean kaleidoscope
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The National Dance Company and Orchestra of Korea charmed with its well-rehearsed numbers
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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao
Colour and control At the cultural show
The last time Chennai encountered Korean traditional theatre was when the Chong Dong repertory mesmerised audiences with its spectacular precision, variety and charisma. This November, the National Dance Company and Orchestra of Korea was introduced
to three Indian metros by the Korean Embassy and the ICCR, with the Chennai show at the Music Academy supported by the InKo Centre and the Korean Association.
“Sparkling Korea” had colour and control, though short on verve and zest. The transitions from one number to the other were not managed with the style and speed of Chong Dong. True, the National Theatre did present perfectly rehearsed numbers, down to entries and exits. Even the bows were part of the planning.
But there was less of the demanding and the flamboyant in the group numbers. Nor could the drum dance or the sword dance with their accent on rhythm amaze the audience. The famous Fan Dance of Korea aroused the greatest expectations. The array of creamy fans edged with shocking pink, agleam with flowers symbolising creation, formed and reformed waves, circles, and spirals to dazzle the eye.
The sword dance had more stylisation than vigour. The traditional rhythms of the Jang-go dance were initiated by a single dancer with the drum, before she was joined by the whole group. This drum dance had every movement aligned to the beats.
In a gesture of goodwill the Korean orchestra played Hindi film songs such as “Salaame-ishq meri jaan” and “Kabhi alvida na kehana”.
Relishable fare came of course from the unique sounds of the Korean flute, zither and fiddle in the Korean melodies.
The two quiet solos had their charm. The Haegum solo (“From dusk till dawn”) promised the experience of watching the sunrise after a night on snowcapped mountains. And the unhurried plaintive notes when they came did paint a moment of luminous solitude. This gentleness was matched by the solo dance “Spring Snow”. Garbed in glowing white, the dancer flowed into contoured movements, framed by simple, tender music. The white flowers in her hands beckoned to life and love in the wintry universe. Praying for the rejuvenation of the cosmos from death and stasis, she urged a return to the energetic cycle of life.
The hall was packed with Koreans, visibly moved by the encounter with their motherland.
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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