Korean Dance: June 25, 2004
For Janet Yoon, who just finished her sophomore year at West Windsor-Plainsboro’s High School North, dancing with the Princeton Korean Dance Troupe is a passion that allows her to both celebrate her Korean heritage and spend time with some of her best friends.
The 14-member troupe celebrates its 10th anniversary with a gala evening of food and dance on Saturday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the MacKay Campus Center at the Princeton Theological Seminary, 64 Mercer Street, Princeton.
The troupe performs extensively, especially at cultural events where it can bring the enjoyment of the Korean culture to a wider audience, such as at the annual Plainsboro’s Founders Day Festival and at Traditions, sponsored by the Plainsboro Recreation Department to celebrate different cultures. The company has performed at the Chinese New Year celebration at the West Windsor Senior Center, at the South Brunswick Community Festival, and at the Princeton Art Council’s Korean Night. This year the dancers also marched and performed in Princeton’s Memorial Day parade.
Yoon was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, where her father, Won Yoon, was getting his doctorate at the University of Texas, after coming to the United States in 1980. He is a research scientist with PBM in Princeton. Her mother is a nurse at the University Medical Center at Princeton. Yoon has an older brother, 25, who teaches English in Korea. The family moved to the village area of Plainsboro in 1992, when the Janet Yoon was four years old.
Yoon, whose Korean name is Gi Won, was a first grader at the Wicoff School when she started Korean dance lessons with teacher Kiran Paek at the Princeton Korean Presbyterian Church in Plainsboro. Paek, who had learned traditional Korean dance in her native country, had come to New York to study modern dance at New York University and decided to start the dance troupe. While all of the dances are based on traditional Korean choreography, Paek has added some modern elements to give the dances a newer, more updated look. The group meets once a week for an intense two-hour rehearsal Saturday afternoons using the facilities at the Princeton Montessori School.
In addition to Yoon, members include Eurie Han, Annette Lee, and Mijin Kim, all students at High School North. As the troupe’s oldest members, they are affectionately called the “”Unni,”” or big sisters, providing leadership and nurturing to their “”younger sisters”” in the group. Members Christina Park, Julia Park, and June Park are real sisters, all of them students in the WWP school district, as are members Justine Han, Sharon Ryoo, Yunah Bark, Soozin Song, and Esther Park. Members Sammi Paek and Laura Song are from Princeton.
Yoon says the Fan Dance is the first dance learned, and the most popular. It was the traditional dance performed at the Royal Court for the king and queen. The girls wear the traditional Korean outfit known as the “”hanbok,”” and carry colorful fans to perform a dance full of fast movements, producing a swirl of color and motion. “”This dance is difficult technically, requiring a lot of spinning and coordination,”” says Yoon. “”You need to be aware of where each person is.””
The Crown or Ribbon Dance is performed by the older girls. It is a more serious, slower-paced dance. The girls wear fabric that is fastened to the wrist, hence the name Ribbon Dance. A stick is used to send the ribbon into the air. “”The moves are easy. Making it look graceful is the hard part,”” Yoon says.
The Drum Dance is the most athletic and the most technically difficult piece, requiring lots of memorization of different rhythms combined with the steps. While taxing physically, Yoon says this is the troupe’s favorite dance, simply because it is so much fun to perform. The girls are dressed in white pants and a white jacket and carry a large hourglass-shaped drum weighing about eight pounds for the duration of the dance.
The Mask Dance was born in the Korean countryside and is part of the peasant culture. The shaman used to wear a brightly colored mask to scare away evil spirits. The girls wear an assortment of different colored masks, giving an eerie look to their leaping moves.
Yoon loves the physical challenge of dancing as well as the celebration of Korean culture. “”You’re doing what you’re born with. It’s your heritage. It comes second nature to me because I’ve been doing it for so long. Even though I was born and raised in the United States, there will always be that part of me that is rich with Korean culture.
“”Though it’s fun to dance, as Korean dancers we hold some responsibility,”” she continues. “”We are representing our homeland. Lots of people know so much about the Chinese and Japanese cultures but they’re not so familiar with Korean culture. It’s good to show them what else there is.””
Yoon also plays first chair viola in the school orchestra and is also treasurer of the executive board of the student council for the entire school. She says her dance teacher, Kiran Paek, is her role model and her hero. “”I would like to continue with my Korean dancing, but I don’t know if I could live up to what my teacher has been doing for ten years, leading our troupe. She has four kids and she holds a full-time job, and yet she sacrifices her time. I respect her so much.””
-Euna Kwon Brossman
A Celebration of Dance, Music and Memories, Princeton Korean Dance Troupe’s 10th anniversary performance and fundraiser, Saturday, June 26, MacKay Campus Center, Princeton Theological Seminary, 64 Mercer Street, Princeton. 7:30 p.m. Donations accepted at the door. For information call 609-656-7724.
