Amal Choucri Catta follows the yellow brick road East "Chongdong Theatre", traditional Korean performance. Venue: Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, 17 April 8pm Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Korea, the Cairo Opera House presented an interesting Korean spectacle by the Chongdong Traditional Arts Troupe of the Chongdong Theatre of Performing Arts, founded in 1995. The ensemble is a professional group working "to preserve, perform, transmit and create traditional arts of Chongdong Theatre's repertoire, while experimenting with the fusion of traditional music and modern artistic conceptions". Since 1997 the ensemble has successfully toured in Europe, Asia, the United States and Latin America. Chongdong's programme at Cairo's Main Hall began with an instrumental concert performed by the "Sanjo Ensemble", granting listeners long sequences on a variety of traditional percussion and string instruments, as well as certain motifs on the taegem, a transverse bamboo flute with a large blow-hole covered by a very thin reed membrane, the vibrations of which give the instrument its particular timbre: dark and cool at times, sharp and piercing at others. Through Korea's long history, the country has developed and maintained a great number of uniquely Korean folk songs, generally considered as the "mirror of the people's temperament". These songs are usually divided according to regional characteristics: songs of the North-Western region are plaintive, bearing sorrowful tones while generating feelings of sadness and pain. Songs from the central provinces are clear, bright and lyrical, bearing, however, certain nostalgic undertones, while songs of the South-Western regions are noted for their drama and their rhythms, making abundant use of the minor mode, with a wide vibrato on the lowest tone, a rather calm middle tone and a breaking voice on the upper tone. On 17 April, at Cairo's performance, the Sanjo-Ensemble started with a slow beat, picking up speed in harmony with the other instruments. Accelerating the pace is a common feature with Sanjo, though its main characteristics are the numerous varieties of rhythm in fast tempos and the deep vibrations in the slow ones. The percussionists were of an astounding brilliance, though decibels were high and the sequence seemingly endless. The house, nevertheless, came down with loud ovations as decibels subsided and the musicians took their bow. That night, Cairene audiences were presented with a number of charming dances, highlighted by Pansori, a musical drama performed by one singer telling folk tales while accompanied by a solitary drummer. The lady story-teller acted, sang and talked, and her intonations often reminded listeners of the Japanese "Kabuki", though the entire show was of a different style. Dance in Korea is generally of six varieties: Shaman, Buddhist, Confucian, Court, Folk and Mask. The most important influences, however, are the Buddhist and the Confucian, the latter being rather repressive, while the former has contributed to the development of the beautiful Court Dance and to the elaboration of many Shaman rituals for the dead. We are furthermore told that the most distinctive of Korean dance movement is the so-called "suspended position", balancing on one foot with the free leg extended, while the shoulders slowly rise and fall. Though the movement may seem somewhat monotonous to certain viewers, it does seem to convey a deep sense of ecstatic power: in ancient times, dancers were interested in expressing metaphysical joy, rather than executing acrobatic motions. From the 50 original Korean Court Dances, five are still being performed today, while a number of folk dances have been added to the general repertoire. Among the seven performances on programme in last week's Korean evening, Chongdon Theatre presented Hwagwanmu and the Flower-Dance, which originated as a celebration of national peace. Generally appreciated as a Dance of the Royal Court, it has an inherently ceremonial character and follows a strict discipline. Dancers are wearing the splendid "full dress" of ladies of the Royal Court, with their long sleeves, or hansam, extending well beyond their hands, thus emphasising the rhythmical beauty of their movements, while every sweep of their arms symbolises the continuity of the royal lineage. On Cairo's stage, the seven dancers in their multicoloured costumes gracefully displayed the elegance and grandeur of royalty. They returned for a brilliant performance of Puchae Chum, or Fan-Dance, heavily influenced by Shamanism, while concentrating on the bright and colourful side of the Korean spirit. The rhythms are characteristic of the common people, though costumes and tiaras are those of royal court ladies. The rather aristocratic atmosphere is enhanced by the lovely choreography, giving enthralled viewers the illusion of lotuses and cherry blossoms budding and growing, appearing and disappearing, while the dainty dancers express all kinds of flowery evolutions with their fans. One of the most interesting of the performances on programme was the Changgo Chum or "hourglass-shaped Drum Dance", the changgo being one of the major Korean percussion instruments. This hourglass-shaped drum has both ends covered with leather to maximise resonance: one end has thus a deep round tone, while the other has a sharp one and the combination of both allow a rich variety of sounds. Each of the seven dancers evolved beautifully, swinging the changgo drum back and forth and beating the rhythm to a remarkably vigorous choreography. The audience loved them. Samul Nori literally means "four objects" and in this case they are the ch'mg, a large gong, changgo, the hourglass-shaped drum, kwaenggwar, a small gong and buk, the barrel drum -- it is a modern adaptation of plays of the four instruments originally performed by farmers. The changgo and the buk, made of wood and leather, are representative of the sounds of the earth, while the large and the small gongs, made of metal, represent the sounds of the sky. United, the four instruments multiply their sounds into countless rhythms, with occasional shouts of joy by the musicians creating an atmosphere of happiness and merriment. The Farm Music Play, a farmers' ritual in ancient times, is a traditional play, combining life, labour and art. In this sequence, the Samul Nori Group demonstrates various sound techniques, while the seven lovely dancers perform different movements with their changgos and their buks. They swing and sway, and their movements, related to farming, are reminiscent of bygone days, when farmers held village feasts, playing their instruments as they joyfully danced while celebrating their abundant harvests. Of all dances performed that evening, this was undoubtedly the richest in movement and sound. It closed a particularly colourful and interesting chang-dong spectacle.
