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The Namsadang Art Company -
Korean Traditional Nomad Art Group |
| Until early last century, the Namsadang Performing Art Troupe would wander through the whole of Korea traveling from village to village with the aim of entertaining country folks. It is not quite known when they first were established, but after Japan invaded Korea for the last time, making of its land its own cultivation plot, and also with the industrial development that followed, the Namsadang Art Troupe lost its raison d'tre and was not to be seen again. |
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Nam, Gisu - currently Master of the Namsadang Art Troupe - tries to maintain the tradition of Namsadang Art Performances. His family has been part of the troupe for the past 7 generations, and he himself was introduced to this art at the age of four, about 40 years ago.
About the Troupe, he says :
The Namsadang Art Troupe is a group of people that goes from place to place and earns a living doing Namsadang performances. Including the Leader, training coaches, carriers, etc. there are about 40 to 50 people, most of poor background or orphans.
Namsadang is a medley of various traditional Korean performances. The troupe is often compared with a western circus, though they are very different: Namsadang Art was a reflection of the spirit of the time.
Through the performance, the artists expressed the sorrow of the lower class and the immorality of the noble class. The play was performed in an open field, where they would re-enact the atmosphere of the town in front of their country audience. As such they fulfilled their role as messengers of the town.
The Namsadang performance has kept its spirit right till today: Folk music, rope walking, Mudongnori, puppet shows, mask dance, etc.
Bakcheomjinoreum is a very unique and traditional puppet show. Though there is no hard evidence of it, it is thought to have been performed since the 16th century.
The rope walking is called Eoreum (which means ice in Korean) for rope walking is as hard as walking on ice. It was usually used to warm the atmosphere during feasts attended by the noble class. The Namsadang rope walking would be performed in front of the lower class with a 9 to 10-centimeter-long rope positioned 2.5 meters from the ground.
Mudongnori is a performance where one artist (called the Mudong) has to stand on another performer's shoulders. From 5 to 8 people take part in this show, standing on each other's shoulders.
Other than this, there is the wheel rolling and dish spinning, the latter being a typical Korean act. The performers converse with the audience all through the entertainment, making it somewhat different from the western circus.
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| 19-07-2001 |
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