Spectacle de la danse traditionnelle

Inspired by a fascinating legend from the Silla kingdom (57 BCE to 935 CE), the Cheoyongmu dance takes us into a tale more than a thousand years old, where dance, song and popular beliefs come together.

This theatrical and choreographic tradition has its origins in the legend of Cheoyong, son of the dragon king Yongwang, who came among men in the 9th century. According to the tale, Cheoyong came home one evening and discovered a mysterious being beside his wife.

Although he believed he had been betrayed, he began to sing and dance. It was in fact a smallpox spirit which, moved by his demeanour, gave up any intention of harming him and promised never to enter a house where the face of Cheoyong appeared.

From this episode arose a lasting popular belief: the effigy of Cheoyong, placed on doors, was thought to protect households from illness and malevolent forces.

Born of the popular beliefs of the Silla period, the Cheoyongmu dance was transformed over the centuries, gradually absorbing the codes and values of court culture, notably under the Joseon dynasty.

It thus bears witness to the evolution and remarkable continuity of Korean choreographic traditions across the centuries.

Inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009, this tradition, transmitted for more than 1,100 years, was historically performed during exorcism rites or royal banquets.

It is today reinterpreted on stage, where its symbolic and aesthetic dimension continues to shine. The performance brings together five dancers dressed in the five fundamental Korean colours (white, blue, black, red and yellow), symbolising the harmony and balance of the world.

Masked and adorned with ritual attributes, they move through a codified, sweeping and majestic gestural vocabulary, punctuated by chants and variations of tempo.

This show is presented in collaboration with the Cheoyongmu Preservation Association and is supported by the Korea Heritage Agency (KHA) and the National Intangible Heritage Center.