Dancercize in Seoul

진도 다시래기 - Jindo Dasiraegi

On any given weekend there is a festival going on in Korea. I can say this with some certainty because in 2004, I became familiar with weekly and monthly happenings through my editing job at SEOUL Magazine. Festivals here are well, festive - and I love the sights and sounds at these outdoor events.

This weekend I attended the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Festival (대한민국전통연희축제), which took place just outside of the Seoul World Cup Stadium. As expected, it didn't disappoint - and I came away feeling energized and inspired by performances like the Jindo Dasiraegi (folk drama from Jindo Island) shown above. [Follow this link to read a description and see a tiny snippet of the Dasiraegi]

One peculiar and delightful scene that I managed to capture on my digital camera is linked here. This wasn't an officially scheduled performance, but rather was a volunteer based activity near the folk arts and craft-making stalls lined up in the middle of the road. The instructor, Lee Jong Man, has developed "Deongdeokkung Chejo" (덩더꿍체조) - which literally translates into "Deongdeokkung Exercise."( I like the ring of "Deongdeokkung Dancercize" much better, though.^^) After reading the informational poster, I learned that Lee has choreographed various fitness/dance routines to basic Korean rhythmic patterns, traditional Korean songs, and some Western dance genres. I kept returning to see this, each time with a new round of be-visored participants drawn from the passerby. The scene below, I think, would have done the Oak Ridge Boys proud...