Ganggangsullae - Not Simply Going Around In Circles.

I thought that Ganggangsullae was just a dance in which girls held hands and went around in circles. After all, most pictures one googles up depict maidens in hanbok dancing in a round but after watching the video, I realise there's a lot more and I understand now why this folk dance has just recently been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

The only times I saw Korean dance was in the Chongdong Theatre ( more on that in future postings!) but I think I'd much prefer to see this one performed in a real village setting under a real full moon. Never mind if tradition is broken and the dancers are a mixed bunch of ajummas, halmeonis and even little boys instead of all pretty virgins as they're meant to be. Ganggangsullae is about the community and keeping in touch with one's agricultural roots and now it's on my wish list of things to see in Korea.

The video may take some time to upload but it's a great introduction to the dance.

Here's the official write-up by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea:

Ganggangsullae is a seasonal harvest and fertility ritual popular in the south-western part of the Republic of Korea, performed primarily on Koreas Thanksgiving in the eighth lunar month. Under a bright full moon, dozens of young, unmarried village women gather in a circle, join hands and sing and dance all night under the direction of a lead singer.

During interludes, the women playfully mime vignettes reflecting life in a farm or fishing village, including treading on roof tiles, unrolling a mat, catching a mouse or tying herrings. The dance takes its name from the refrain repeated after each verse, although the exact meaning of the word is unknown. Once a rare break from restrictive rules governing the behaviour of rural young women who were not allowed to sing aloud or go out at night, except during the ''Chuseok'' Thanksgiving celebration, the ritual is mostly preserved today by middle-aged women in cities and taught as part of the music curriculum of elementary schools.

Now practised as a performing art throughout Korea, it can be seen as a representative Korean folk art. It is an important hereditary custom drawn from the rice culture that pervaded daily life in the countryside. The easy tunes and movements can be learned quickly for this communal practice that contributes to harmony, equality and friendship among the women dancers.
source: http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Cu_detail.htm?No=67017&id=Cu