Dance group brings taste of Korean culture to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Koreans felt they were at home and others felt they had actually visited Korea, after enjoying a "Grand Performance of Korean Traditional Music and Dance" at Emirates Palace in the capital recently.

"I felt at home," Minjung, a South Korean cabin crew member said.

"Although I have been in the UAE for the past four years, this is the first time I could attend a Korean music and dance programme," she said.

"It was a rare experience to enjoy the traditional dances because you cannot always find it abroad," Minjung added.

The performance by the artists from the National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA) was organised by the South Korean Embassy in the capital as part of its cultural exchange programmes. Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage sponsored the event.

"I felt I visited Korea again," said Kholoud Al Alawi, an Emirati woman who had visited South Korea as a tourist. "I had watched Korean dance and music there and the programme relived those nice experiences," she said.

Korean music has been influenced by Chinese, Indian [through Buddhism] and even Arab [through the historical silk route] cultures, explained Dr So In-hwa, a senior researcher at NCKPTA who accompanied the artists.

Beauty of nature

She said Korean music always pursues the beauty of nature so is different from Chinese and Japanese music although "there is a misconception that all Far Eastern music is alike".

The Arab influence is visible in the mask of the dancer of Cheyongmu, a court dance which was the first item of the programme, So explained.

She said it is interesting to note that many Emirati students are studying Korean drama and music.

"That's why we are excited to perform in front of the students of Zayed University in Dubai [yesterday]," So said.

Korean contemporary popular culture — in such forms as music, drama and TV shows — is becoming increasingly popular among the younger generation of the UAE, Chung Yong-chil, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea said. Last year, Korea's b-boy dance group performed at the Abu Dhabi National Theatre.