Throughout the Korean traditional performing arts troupe The Gwangdae’s performance of Spin Jump Fly, my heart beat with excitement along with the drum beats. While watching this ‘pangut’ (traditional outdoor Korean farmers’ music performance), I had encountered a lost sense of energy. The word ‘pangut’ encompasses a variety of ‘yeonhui’ (traditional outdoor performances). It refers to a form of ‘samulnori’ (Korean traditional percussion quartet) that is performed standing up, and it can also mean holding an event and performing a ‘gut’ (exorcism). Today, the word ‘yeonhui’ is widely used to describe traditional outdoors performances including ‘namsadangnori’ (Korean troupe performances that include hat dances, puppet plays, tightrope dancing, and more), shamanist performances, ‘talchum’ (Korean traditional mask dance), and ‘pungmul’ (Korean folk music tradition that includes drumming, dancing, and singing. Although The Gwangdae is based on this tradition, it is a young, open group that tries to find its own characteristics. I spoke to the president, Ahn Dae-cheon, and director, Kim Seo-jin, of The Gwangdae about Spin Jump Fly, which was chosen as the PAMS Choice at the 2013 Performing Arts Market in Seoul. This is the second of The Gwangdae’s works that has been chosen for this, after Lure Me, Fisherman in 2012.

A collaboration between graduates of traditional art forms and a theater director

Q: Congratulations on being chosen for the second time. When did you two first meet?

Ahn Dae-cheon: We met in 2008, during the production of Round and Round in Search of Fathers. The team was set up on January 2, 2006. It was comprised of five graduates from the Korea National University of Arts and five goseong ogwangdae (traditional Korean masked dance performance) performers. With the money we made from performing samulnori and talchum, we were able to put on our first original play, Tiger Hunter, on stage. There were several masters designated as human cultural assets in the audience but ultimately, it failed. We found that you can’t put on a good performance by just investing a lot of money in it. After that, we took a new turn and made the outdoors play, Here Comes the Yangban, directing it ourselves, with minimal costumes. Although the audience response was good, this time the feedback was that the story was too simple. Well, our focus was good versus evil, after all (laughs). I came to realize that when making a play, you need professional staff. So I got introduced to director Kim Seo-jin.

Q: What is the director’s role in a yeonhui play?

Ahn: Looking at the existing director and art director system, usually they set up a structure beforehand and then just shove in the yeonhui element. It is almost like a made-to-order format. As the directors were usually older veterans, the direction usually goes something like, “You just need to turn here.” However, as director Kim Seo-jin is in my age group, there is much conversation. The talks involve discussing the free nature of traditional yeonhui as well as trying to bring out the best in The Gwangdae members. The format is also open. So that is why we haven’t changed our director yet (laughs).

Kim Seo-jin: From the start, I didn’t think, “I’m going to use yeonhui in my works.” Because I was brought into the group when it needed a director, I thought a lot about The Gwangdae troupe. At first, I was cautious. The performances were yeonhui-based, but I didn’t know a lot about yeonhui, so there were lots of things that I needed help in. I studied and was quite stressed out. As I was brought on as director after the work already existed, sometimes I would say, “Show this, maybe this is better, this will be too hard, should we do it differently?” but even this process seemed no different from that of existing directors who just stuck a traditional element in the play. So I made Lure Me, Fisherman in an effort to create something that is more fit for the actors. I minimized the dialogue and tried to merge poetic images and yeonhui. For example, adding some “Korean” color by incorporating traditional yeonhui in Romeo and Juliet was not my aim. The Gwangdae already has its own language, which it uses well. It is important to create works with that language.

Agonizing over passing down traditional art or creating the new

Q: I suspect views on tradition is different for each troupe member. There may be clashes of opinion when making something new.

Ahn: There are clashes. There may be a person who is interested in creating repartee in performances and another person who is interested in the samulnori performance. There is a need to be flexible and adjust according to circumstances when being adventurous. From the beginning, some people would put up a guard, while others just sense it, saying “I don’t know what it is but I don’t think this is it.” When this is the case, Kim Seo-jin creates a detour for those people to open up more.

Kim: When people talk about art, they usually comment on whether a work is good or bad. In the traditional art circle, however, they refer to whether a work is “right” or “not right.” This means that they are turning their backs on being creative. Because this kind of discussion can turn into a fight if approached in the wrong way, there needs to first be a more fundamental discussion addressing the role of art and creating.

Ahn: But this isn’t talk of right or wrong. It’s just because people that do traditional arts have a mentality of trying to preserve their own identity and roots. This is the part that is hard, as someone who creates something new from a basis in stylized traditional art. As someone who needs to coordinate different opinions, it’s difficult for me, and it’s hard for the director, too, but once we all talk it through and my mind becomes clearer, I am able to walk a few steps forward again.

Q: Isn’t there a saying that goes, “Sound is Honam [southwestern region of Korea], dance is Yeongnam [southeastern region of Korea].” Is there a regional identity that The Gwangdae is trying to capture?

Ahn: I would like it to encompass all regions. Because many of our members come frome the goseoung ogwangdae tradition, we tend to use a lot of dance and rhythm coming from goseong. On the other hand, there are others who have learned Bongsan or Yangju talchum, so we are open to all styles. Also, regarding samulnori, because members are familiar with the characteristics of all three regions―the provinces of Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do and Chungcheong-do―this is open as well. For gut, there is byeolsin gut from the eastern coast of Korea, ssitgim gut from Jindo, and dodang gut from Gyeonggi-do. One of our team members is very focused on gut, so that member helps us out a lot.

Q: During the lion performance in Spin Jump Fly, the lion becomes a camel and snake―it was very cute and lovely. It was also great seeing beona [spinning hoops and dishes] turn into sunglasses or be puffed up like a rice cracker during the beonanori¹⁾ performance.

Ahn: I create with my team members, and we get validation from the audience through numerous performances. I think these achievements are the result of time. The current format of Spin Jump Fly is a result of us making a repertoire in a gala performance format that features traditional yeonhui that The Gwangdae has polished up throughout the years. I think we can improve even more from where we are now. We just got some new members, so I hope to create a new version of Spin Jump Fly with them.

Kim: During a recent practice session, I saw promise. During gilnori (traditional road performance), many pathways are drawn. This is referred to as “drawing up troops [positions].” We contemplate how to make the existing pathway appear new. For example, because gilnori itself is a roaming act, I asked members to come up with a roaming image each and divide them into two teams. One team became the migratory bird group and the other, the salmon group. It was really refreshing to see the actors come out, gesturing like the movements of a salmon. The team moved as though they were the fish, endlessly switching their positions, going back and forth. I saw an answer then. I thought it would be possible for us to do a sansunori (a water and mountain performance) (laughs). Even master Kim Deok-soo, who made samulnori, said that at its core, yeonhui came from the gestures of nature and the farmers. If that is so, I thought that there was room for abundant expression through nature. Also, it is important in this era we live in, to witness art in nature. If we can show this . . . I wanted to talk about this with president Ahn.

Q: During Spin Jump Fly, when the yeonhui performers twirled their sangmo [hat with a piece of long cloth attached] and the white line divided the space, I could see the sky. And when the drums were beat, I could feel the earth. Also, I could see humans and bupo²⁾ between the sky and the earth. Bupo is sometimes like an animal or a flower, or like a huge eye blinking. Does bupo symbolize something? Does it mean something?

Ahn: Shamanism is just that. It connects the sky, earth, and humankind. In traditional performances, the sky, earth, and humankind are a trinity, so whenever we talk about a connection, we always talk about this. It’s the first time I heard it compared to an eye, but I think it is a good image. Sangmo and bupo are often compared to male and female. During the pangut performance in samulnori, there is a part when the janggu (double-headed drum) plays along with a clattering sound as the bupo approaches it, puckering up and unfolding. It symbolizes men and women and is quite interesting. There are many other stories about this, I’m sure, but I like this story.

Q: The Gwangdae’s rather singular characteristic, compared to other traditional art-based troupes, is that the audience can see the faces and expressions of the performers. Each member is charming. So I was thinking that it might even be a good idea for each member to take on a character and perform separately. For example, a member can take on an old grandmother character and twirl a sangmo, or like you said just now about the bupo taking on a feminine characteristic, one member can take on a female character and do a bupo dance. Would this be possible or would this kind of imagination ruin tradition?

Kim: (Laughs) In fact, I was in talks with president Ahn about how we need to push for performances that make a character. I can clearly see artistry in other performances. In particular, master Kim Deok-soo’s samulnori showcases the highest level of artistry, and I sometimes think, “How can I surpass that?” It’s a big wall. But The Gwangdae showcases each member’s personality, and the audience expresses interest in each individual member as well. Our main point is to make this point clearer. In my opinion, clowns and circuses seem to be a part of the cultural tradition of the West. For example, juggling techniques differ from clown to clown. Each clown has his own character and own method. For example, Russia’s Slava Polunin takes clothing and moves them around, putting his arms in and out of them. Other clowns do this but in their own distinct way. But for us, it seems “samulnori performer” refers to all samulnori performers. There is no clear distinction between them. So The Gwangdae needs to help find the individual color of each performer. Even though the current version of Spin Jump Fly does not take note of this issue, you, the interviewer, is noticing this nonetheless. I want to strengthen exactly this part.

Q: Is a storyline possible for Spin Jump Fly?

Ahn: There are such things as dramas without dialogue. It is possible. Although I would need to talk to the director more about this, I don’t think it is necessarily the case that if you have more dialogue, you get a story.

Kim: I agree. Although there is no narration, our gala performance now will have a certain flow.

Q: What do you wish for as the head?

Ahn: I wish for The Gwangdae to come into its own and also for each member of the team to be represented well. If I could have my way, I would like for the members to showcase their character well and become stars in the yeonhui circle.

Q: What color is The Gwangdae?

Ahn: Sometimes black (laughs), but I wish it were blue or sky blue. But I think it is white.

Kim: Hearing this, the members of The Gwangdae seem like white clouds against a blue backdrop. They have the characteristics of country people, and strangely enough, they continue to move, never stiffening. They are changeable and like to go around in groups. They are bright and can’t be tied down to anything. I wish a rainbow would appear here during the performance.

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1) The second of six acts during namsadangnori―an acrobatic performance in which the performer twirls a bowl or plate on the end of a wooden stick or bamboo skewer.
2) Bupo sangmo refers to a sangmo with a large white tassel made of feathers, known as bupo, attached. It looks as if a large flower with a diameter of 30–50cm is blossoming and puckering. Before the Japanese crane became an endangered species, crane feathers were used for this, but recently, turkey or ostrich features have been used.