“The only ones who carried on the art of crane dance are the late Seong-jun and me.” 

Mr. Seong-gu would start off his story like this and excitedly blab on about the years when he used to perform the crane dance at Wongaksa Temple.

“That’s right. That dance was legit. Dances today cannot be called dance at all.” 

Other senior citizens egged him on.

“학춤의 대를 이은 사람은 죽은 성준이와 그리구선 나밖에 없지“ 

성구영감은 이렇게 허두를 꺼내놓고 나서는

<설중매>의 연극과 함께 유명한 원각사에서

학춤을 추던 그 시절의 이야기를 신이 나서 풀어놓는 것이었다.

“그렇지, 그 때의 춤이 춤이었지. 요즘의 춤이야 그게 어디 춤이라구“ 

듣는 노인들도 그의 흥을 돋워줬다.

Mr. Seong-gu was a dancer whose specialty was crane dance. But now he’s just an old man who idles his time away at a nursing home by rehashing his past achievements and waits for a visitor that never comes. His only joy is telling his fellow residents about how he excelled at crane dance in his younger days. 

Although nothing seemed to move, there was a soft tremor that ran from the tip of his fingers down to his toes. Sweat beaded up on his forehead and his breathing grew shallow. 

He then took a couple of steps like a crane. His flashing eyes softened and he withdrew his arms as if a crane was folding its wings. 

He gently sank to the floor and bobbled his head a few times before falling to the side and quietly closing his eyes. His face was serene and beautiful.

아무것도 움직이는 것이 없으면서도 

손끝으로부터 발끝까지 

전신을 부드럽게 떨어대는 움직임,

그의 이마에서는 땀이 빗발치고 숨결이 고도로 높아졌다.

그래도 자세를 구지기 않고 서 있던 그는

주춤하고 학의 걸음으로 두어 걸음 걸어 나가고는 

지금까지 광채가 나던 눈이 부드러워지며

팔을 차차 거두기 시작했다.

마치도 학이 벌렸던 날개를 거두듯이.

그러고는 사풋이 주저앉아 목을 두어 번 비꼬고서는

옆으로 약간 누인 채, 가만히 눈을 감아 버렸다.

고즈적하고도 아름다운 얼굴이었다.

Interview by literature critic Jeon So-yeong

An artwork is said to be an artist’s alter ego. Crane dance was life itself to Mr. Seong-gu whose entire life was devoted to the crane dance. It was life’s beginning and end to the old dancer. In the last scene of the story, Mr. Seong-gu dances his last dance before passing away. He was fortunate in that he could leave lingering impressions of the dance in the spectators’ hearts.    

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Kim Yi-seok (Born in Pyongyang, 1914~1964)

: Works include “Wild Pear Tree,”“Magic Lantern,” “Pelagic Fish,” “Unicorn,” etc. 

Awards include the 4th Asia Freedom Literature Award (1957), the 14th Seoul Cultural Award (1964), etc.