Lebanese traditional dance troupe tours Korea for 19th Arab Culture Festival
Lebanese Ambassador Wael Hachem, center, poses with dancers from Korea and Lebanon at the National Gugak Center in Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Embassy of Lebanon
Hayakel Baalbeck, a celebrated traditional dance troupe from Lebanon, is touring across Korea this week.
As part of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Korea and this year’s Arab Culture Festival, the Embassy of Lebanon in Seoul organized performances in Seoul, Gwangju and Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, between Sept. 5 and 10. The troupe's first performance was held on Saturday at the Yeakdang Theater in Seoul’s National Gugak Center, in collaboration with Korean traditional music from the southeastern island of Jindo. The event was attended by government officials, ambassadors and diplomats, business leaders, academics and members of the international community.
They bring their acclaimed theatrical production “Laylet Farah” (A Night of Celebration) to Korean stages, featuring an 11-piece repertoire celebrating the values of hospitality and homeland. Curated to reflect Lebanon’s enduring cultural identity, the production weaves together authentic music and costumes with the theatrical storytelling and dynamic rhythms of Lebanese dabke.
The Lebanese ambassador to Korea described dabke, a traditional line dance, as “the dance of unity, resilience and joy that has echoed through the mountains and villages of Lebanon for generations."
During a welcoming reception for the dance group on Friday at the embassy in Yongsan District, Lebanese Ambassador Wael Hachem said he was delighted to welcome Hayakel Baalbeck as they presented Lebanon’s rich cultural heritage to Korean audiences.
"Through the remarkable artistry of Hayakel Baalbeck, we invite you to experience the soul of Lebanon: its hospitality, its pride, its unbreakable spirit,” he said.
He further expressed that the true foundation of any diplomatic relationship lies not in agreements signed between governments, but in the bonds forged between people.
“It is through people-to-people exchanges, through music, dance, shared meals and stages, that we move beyond acquaintance and build genuine friendship," he said. "Culture is not merely entertainment; it is the language through which we tell one another who we are, what we value and what we dream.”
Lebanese Ambassador Wael Hachem speaks at the Embassy of Lebanon in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
The ambassador noted that Lebanon and Korea first established formal diplomatic ties 45 years ago.
“But in truth, our connection runs deeper than protocol," he added. "It lives in the Lebanese students who have studied in Seoul, in the Korean peacekeepers who have served with UNIFIL in South Lebanon, in the entrepreneurs who have traded between our countries and in the artists who now stand before you.”
The dance troupe received international attention when they presented a welcoming performance for Pope Leo XIV in Lebanon last December.
Hayakel Baalbeck is named after Baalbek, an ancient Phoenician city with UNESCO World Heritage Status and known for its well-preserved Roman temple ruins. Through folk dance and storytelling, the troupe brings to life the rich cultural heritage of the Mediterranean, passed down through millennia.
Omar Mohamed Hamadeh smiles at the Embassy of Lebanon in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
Omar Mohamed Hamadeh is the leader of the 14-member dance troupe currently touring Korea. His family has preserved dabke for generations, treating the traditional dance as a national treasure that must be protected and passed on to future generations.
“It's something in the family; I just learned it from my family,” he told The Korea Times.
At age 20, he established the Hayakel Baalbeck dance group in 1991 with six dancers to promote Lebanese folk culture. More than three decades later, the troupe has grown into a major cultural institution, with an academy and approximately 300 dancers from different parts of Lebanon.
“It’s my first visit to Korea, and it’s a great honor for me to be here and to participate in this magnificent festival,” he said.
Hamadeh hopes Korean audiences will respond enthusiastically. “Wherever we go in the world, we feel like the audiences who are watching us are more enthusiastic than the Lebanese themselves, because dabke is something new and unfamiliar to many international audiences,” he said.
Khodor Itani, a Lebanese student in Busan, came to Seoul to participate in the festival. He believes that the events offered an opportunity to introduce part of his culture to people in Korea.
“In dabke dance, they hold each other’s hands, and they move together. This shows how Lebanese people are also connected,” he said.
For him, the embassy has become a place where Lebanese culture, friendships and memories of home come together. “This is the closest you can get to Lebanon.”
For a student living far from home, gatherings like this offer more than social networking. “It’s great to see most of the Lebanese living in different cities in Korea,” he said.
The festival introduces the rich and varied Arab world, providing a platform for Korea and the Arab region to share cultures. Through performances, exhibitions and film screenings, the festival offers the Korean public opportunities to discover Arab culture firsthand.
The Korea-Arab Society, a public-private partnership established in 2008 through the joint participation of the governments, businesses and organizations in Korea and the 22-member countries of the League of Arab States, has organized the annual Arab Cultural Festival for years.
A dancer raises a Lebanese flag at the National Gugak Center in Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Embassy of Lebanon
Hayakel Baalbeck's next performances will be held at Gwangju's National Asian Culture Center on Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. and Gyeongju Expo Grand Park's Munmu Hall at 7 p.m. on Sept. 10.
Visit lebanoninkorea.com for more information.
Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He’s also the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative, and a freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency.