Dances performed in the royal court are called “Jeongjae (정재).” Since they were performed in front of a royal audience, they were marked by a colorful wardrobe and elegant choreography. One of the most well-known jeongjae dances was Yeonhwadaemu (연화대무), a combination of the crane dance and the dance of Cheoyong (처용). Big lotus flowers placed centerstage and cranes come onto the stage to dance around the flowers. The dancers dressed in crane costumes dance around the flowers and peck at them with their beaks. Then priestesses come out of the flowers to perform their own dance routine. Even today’s audiences used to special effects and flashy scenes are amazed by this sequence, because although the dance does not require high-tech equipment, it is expressed in the most beautiful and elegant way. According to historical records from the Goryeo (고려) period, the Yeonhwadaemu dance originated from a country located in the northern region of what is now Iran. An ancient Korean kingdom having cultural ties with a country far away in the Middle East may sound farfetched to some, but the story isn’t entirely groundless since Cheoyong, a Silla-period figure who supposedly chased away a ghost sleeping with his wife by singing a song, was described as someone who looked very different from the Koreans of those days. Some people even claim that Cheoyong may have been an Arabian merchant, who had settled down in Silla. Wherever the dance may have originated from, it is now part of long-standing Korean heritage. Let’s listen to the musical accompaniment to Yeonhwadaemu performed by the professors of the Korea National University of Arts’ School of Korean Traditional Arts.
Music 1: Yeonhwadaemu/ Performed by professors of the Korea National University of Arts’ School of Korean Traditional Arts
A similar scene takes place in the pansori “Simcheongga (심청가),” when Simcheong, who was thrown into the sea, comes back to life in the sea king’s palace. The sea king returns her to land after giving her the royal treatment. But how do you return a human to the surface from the deep sea? By hiding her in a huge lotus flower and floating the blossom up to the sea surface. Then the very sailors who had offered her to the sea god as a sacrifice discover the mysterious-looking lotus flower and take it to the emperor’s court. Just as the emperor, who had just lost his wife, marveled at the lotus flower, the lovely Simcheong rises out of the blooming flower to capture the emperor’s heart and eventually marry him. This scene in “Simcheongga” is sung by Kim Su-yeon.
Music 2: An aria from Simcheongga/ Sung by Kim Su-yeon
Many traditional Korean buildings had ponds or pavilions with the word “buyong (부용)” included in their names. The Chinese characters used for “buyong” mean lotus flowers, so buildings with the word “buyong” in their titles indicate that lots of lotus flowers can be seen from those structures. Lotus flowers, which blossom in the muddy water yet do not allow the mud to soil them, have long been admired as precious and noble plants. Lotus flowers are held in high regard especially in Buddhism, as they symbolize Buddha’s enlightenment and nirvana. Lotus flowers also stand for purity, sanctity, longevity, and prosperity. The lotus is a very versatile plant – the flowers can be made into tea, its leaves are used to wrap rice, and its roots are cooked to make a side dish. It is the lotus blooming season now in Korea. The hot and humid weather is enough to make anyone exhausted, but take a break from time to time and drink plenty of lotus flower tea to recharge yourself. Today’s Sounds of Korea will conclude with “Lotus Flowers Will Bloom” sung by Cho Joo-seon.
Music 3: Lotus Flowers Will Bloom/ Sung by Cho Joo-seon