Seungmu: Seon meditation through dance

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff reporter

Korea has a unique cultural heritage listing system for recognizing intangible skills that have been passed on through the generations. Among these is “seungmu” or monk’s dance, which is one of the most well-known folk dances. It was designated as Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 27 in 1968.

The dance, as its name suggests, comes from the Buddhist tradition. Its origins can be traced back to about 500 years, and to this day it has been passed on as a dance performed during Buddhist ceremonies, as a form of physical expression of making an offering to Buddha. However, the seungmu that one often encounters these days are staged works with strong theatrical elements that stand as an artwork that strives for universal, rather than religious ideals. It should thus be considered more a folk dance rather than a Buddhist ritual.

It draws beautiful spatial designs by using the long sleeves of the costume coupled with characteristics of the Korean traditional dance such as harmony of motionlessness, dynamism and subtlety. It has evolved throughout the years in Korea and has been refined to become a theatrical dance form leaving its religious origin behind.

Popular legend has it that Hwang Jin-i, a “gisaeng” or courtesan and famous poet, dancer and musician of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), was the first to adapt the Buddhist dance to artistic ends ― she added a sensual twist to the movements to seduce the famous Buddhist priest Jijokseonsa, who was so entranced by her beauty that he gave up his priesthood.

Nevertheless, the spiritual ideals inspired by Buddhism remain intact. Even before looking into the dance movements and the meanings behind them, it doesn’t take more than a single glance at a seungmu dancer to discern the Buddhist roots. The costume ― conical hat, red sash and all ― look just like a monk’s wardrobe.

Moreover, it is about expressing a spiritual ideal.

“It’s a sacred dance, a meeting point between humans and heaven,” Jung Je-man, a National Living Treasure or master of seungmu, told The Korea Times in his Cheongdam-dong studio last week.

“The dance must be executed with seriousness, with each movement rendered with the utmost care and all of your heart,” he said. Seungmu is ultimately a form of “seon”or meditation.