FESTIVAL DANCERS

NATIONAL/ETHNIC IDENTITY: Korean
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Kyoungil Ong
First Appearance in SF EDF: 2005
Website: www.ongdance.com

The Korean Drum Dance was first performed during the reign of King Seongjong in the 15th century, and was later popularized during the late Chosun period of the 19th century. The roots of this dance date back to the 10th century through a legend that is told of a high-ranking official named, Yi Hon, of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), who found a piece of wood on the seashore where he was exiled and made a drum out of it. This drum, the Janggo drum, had such a resounding sound, it inspired people to dance and drum.

This drum is believed to be the first drum introduced to Korea from China, adding color and variety to Korean dancing. The reverberating, strong, and solid sound of the drum reflects the deep earth that is hard and firm. Complementing this are the graceful movements of the female dancers who express the earth's blessing and joy.

Kyoungil Ong, the director of Ong Dance Company, grew up dancing since the age of four, in Seoul, Korea. She was a lead dancer for the National Dance Company of Korea, and has toured in over 30 countries in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Ong Dance Company was developed as a way to shine light on Korean culture in the Bay Area, and to give local Korean immigrants and Korean Americans a chance to express themselves and connect with their cultural heritage through the arts.