LEE CHULJIN

Seungmu is one of the most representative folk dances of Korea, performed by a dancer dressed in a Buddhist monk's attire. Although commonly referred to as "monk dance,” seungmu is not a dance formally associated with Buddhist rituals or danced by a monk.

Seungmu is performed by a dancer donning a white monk's robe, overlaid by a red stole. The dancer is coiffed with a peaked hat and wears white padded socks with pointed tips. Starting out with yeombul, the tempo changes successively to dodeuri, taryeong, gutgeori and jajinmort. With characteristic arm movements, like the quick pitching movement and theswishing of the sleeves creating long, fluttering trails in the air, seungmu is usually accompanied by wind instruments like piri and daeguem, haegeum, the fiddle-like string instrument, and drums (jangu and buk).

This highly-sophisticated dance with a complex rhythmic structure and intricate choreographic designs gives intense expressions to life’s joys and sorrows and depicts the human struggle to transcend and sublimate themselves. Only three holders of the seungmu tradition are currently alive, including Yi Mae-bang, Yi Ae ju and Jeong Jae-man is Taepyeongmu.