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네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

Performance Tour of Anseong Namsadang Troupe

Korea’s traditional Namsadang performing arts were staged in Iran, where outdoor events and cultural activities are something of a rarity. Cultural attaché Kim Jong-Kwon of the Korean Embassy in Iran, who had long been interested in organizing a namsadang performance, applied for Korea Foundation support for the dispatch of a performing arts group, which was eventually realized in November this year.



Performances in Iran
The attention of the Iranian audience was peaked by the resounding drum beats of a samulnori group, signaling the start of the performance. Exceptional acrobatic maneuvers of the tightrope performers elicited gasps of amazement and hearty applause. The performers engaged in banter with the audience, with the help a translator, while the few Koreans in the crowd shouted out eolssigu, as encouragement.
Eoreumsani(tightrope performer) taught the Iranian audience such interjections as ‘eolssigu’ and ‘jeota,’ which added to the festive atmosphere. This was followed by a pungmulnori performance. The 1,300 to 1,500 people in the audience seemed to take endless pictures throughout the presentation. Their faces revealed the wonderment and enjoyment that they experienced while viewing Korea’s traditional performing arts, which included performers playing unusual musical instruments and gracefully twirling long streamers from their headgear.
After the performance, many people from the audience came forward to take photos with the performers. Although somewhat surprised, the members of the performance troupe kindly responded to as many requests as possible. But we needed to depart quickly from Laleh Park in order to prepare for the upcoming performance, so there was not enough time to accommodate everyone.
The following day’s presentation enabled us to better understand the response of the Iranian audience and appreciate the atmosphere of the performance venue. With this day being holiday in Iran, a considerable number of Koreans attended the event, where we could hear conversations in Korean. However, the purpose of this performance tour of the Middle East region was focused on introducing Korean culture to local residents, so the related information was communicated in Iranian.
Long before the performance got underway, the 700 available seats were filled by the audience. An overflow crowd surrounded the performance venue, creating serious traffic congestion, despite the police officers on hand to direct traffic. It seems that the organizers did not anticipate the attendance of so many people.
Again, the reverberating drum beats signaled the start of our performance. Similar to the previous day, the audience expressed their amazement and delight with continuous applause. These were the sounds of an audience that was thoroughly enjoying itself. In fact, the audience remained glued to their seats during the entire presentation of almost two hours. They seemed to be fully immersed in the various Namsadang performances, including Samulnori, Jultagi, Pungmulnori, Beonanori, Salpan, Sangmonori, Mudongnori, and 12-bal Sangmonori, which were presented in rapid succession. The atmosphere was superb. I always seem to sense a greater enthusiasm among foreign audiences abroad, as compared to a more subdued reaction from performances in Korea. Culture and art must be a basic aspect of people everywhere, regardless of their politics, society, and religion.
Iran is known to be a highly conservative society, in which women must always wear chador and you should not mention another person’s wife or take a photo of women. To our surprise, however, many Iranians asked us to take a photo with them, including a number of young women. Is this a sign of change, although gradual, of Islamic society? Various people even spoke to us, but only cautiously.
I was gratified that we helped these Iranian people, living in such a restricted society, to experience of sense of freedom through our Namsadangnori performance. Even before recovering from fatigue, we had to make our way to Teheran Airport, pass through the extensive security checks, and depart for our next destination: Saudi Arabia.



Presentation in Saudi Arabia
The enthusiastic response of the audiences in Iran provided the group with a boost of confidence and encouragement. The first performance in Saudi Arabia, however, proved to be rather difficult. The start time was decided by the organizers for their own convenience, and then there was an interruption in the middle of the performance for an interview session with a broadcast media. We were told that this kind of disruption was a regular aspect of local practices.
The performance was staged at an outdoor park that was frequented by local residents. A smaller turnout was expected for the event since it was being held on Thursday and Friday, weekend days in Middle Eastern countries. Although the performance venue was not filled to capacity, people steadily streamed in and d a vibrant atmosphere for our performance.
The group’s namsadang performances included presentations of Pungmulnori, Sangmonori, and Beonanori. Satisfied at the fact that we could present the little-known culture of the Orient to the citizens of Riyadh, we departed immediately after the event’s conclusion, without spending time with anyone from the audience. Still, this performance was a success as well.
Another performance in Saudi Arabia would be the final event of this tour. Surprisingly, the atmosphere was much more animated, as compared to the previous performance. This included hearty applause, exclamations, and continuous camera flashes, reflecting the audience’s enjoyment of our entertaining performance. Again, I felt a sense of elation for helping to such a festive atmosphere in this conservative country. From the audience, I was able to enjoy the performers and the Saudi people’s appreciation. Bright smiles from the narrow opening of the burka, that covers from head to toe, could easily be seen. All the members of the troupe returned to the stage after the performance. The Ministry of Culture and Information of Saudi Arabia presented the group with a gorgeous crystal plaque of appreciation. I amused myself with the thought: ‘What about staging performances here for about a month?’
Plans to open a Korean cultural center in Saudi Arabia have recently been agreed upon, in line with the Korean government’s efforts to promote more cooperative relations with the Middle Eastern region. I am concerned about how the differences in religion and culture between the two regions can be smoothly overcome, but at the same time I would be honored to participate in another performance tour of the Middle East. Although it was unfortunate that the group was not able to perform in Egypt on this tour, the members of the performing troupe were pleased with their overall success, while sharing interesting stories with each other on our way home.

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