Nam Hyun-joon and Park Ae-ri reunite for Chunhyang-ga at Gimje festival

Dancer Nam Hyun-joon and pansori singer Park Ae-ri reunited at the Gimje Horizon Festival to perform a segment of Chunhyang-ga on the KBS Korean Traditional Music Stage. Following their collaboration last year, the duo reinterpreted the story of Lee Mong-ryong and Chunhyang through a blend of dance and vocals.

Dancer Nam Hyun-joon and pansori singer Park Ae-ri recreated a segment of the pansori 'Chunhyang-ga' on the KBS Korean Traditional Music Stage, held as part of the Gimje Horizon Festival.

As reported by Nam Hyun-joon's official YouTube channel, the performance focused on the 'Baekbaekhonghongnanmanjung' segment of Chunhyang-ga, which depicts Lee Mong-ryong falling in love at first sight with Chunhyang as she swings at Gwanghallu Pavilion. Having performed together in Gimje last year, the two reunited after hearing from audiences who had been waiting to see their previous performance again.

A meeting of dance and sound: Reinterpreting Chunhyang-ga

The stage featured a blend of pansori segments describing the meeting of Chunhyang and Lee Mong-ryong with the choreography of Nam Hyun-joon. Led by the vocals of Park Ae-ri, Nam Hyun-joon added dance to create an atmosphere reminiscent of flowers in full bloom. In particular, the lyrics describing Chunhyang swinging and the gaze of Lee Mong-ryong watching her were linked to Nam Hyun-joon's movements, increasing the immersion of the performance.

The performance began with a conversation between Bangja and the young master, describing Chunhyang swinging through the forest. This was followed by a segment singing of love for Chunhyang with the lyrics, "No matter what beauty appears in the Baekbaekhonghongnanmanjung, she is as lovely as an autumn flower bud." On-site, the audience responded to the melodies of the pansori, and the stage was directed to emphasize the elegance and excitement of traditional enjoyment through the combination of sound and dance. Just before the performance, Nam Hyun-joon encouraged audience participation to heighten expectations.

Harmony of the Gimje Horizon Festival and traditional music

This performance was part of the KBS Korean Traditional Music Stage held during the Gimje Horizon Festival, seen as an attempt to combine the vitality of the local festival with the excitement of traditional music. As a stage creating works that allow for the enjoyment of traditional arts, it presented a meeting of sound and dance accompanied by the performance of Isang Band. The collaboration between Nam Hyun-joon and Park Ae-ri, returning to Gimje following last year, added meaning to the stage in terms of the modern transformation and reproduction of traditional arts.

Source: original video (YouTube)