Sword Dance

[punuri]

The sword dance is based on a legend of ancient Korea. During the Silla period a young boy named Hwang Changnang was so famous for dancing with a sword in each hand that he became a professional itinerant dancer. Upon invitation of the enemy Baekje king, the boy dancer presented his sword dance in front of the monarch.

In the middle of his dance he thrust the sword with which he was dancing into the king, killing him instantly. He was subsequently executed but the people of Silla were so impressed by the young dancer's patriotic daring that the people began to imitate his sword dance, wearing a mask which resembled the patriot's face in memory of the hero.

The seemingly innocent swords in the hands of dancers proved so potentially

	Character of Korean Dance
	Court Dance
	Folk Dances
	Farmers' Dance
	Sword Dance
	Priest Dance
	Drum Dance

dangerous,however, that later the swords were replaced with the "dance sword." Short wires connect the blade of the "dance sword" with the handle. In this way, the swords send out a rattling noise as the dancer brandishes them in dancing. The metallic sounds are one of the most important factors adding grace and color to the dance. Originally masculine and animated, the sword dance gradually transformed itself into a graceful feminine dance. Nevertheless, we can find in it some basic features of Korean dancing: of all sword dances of the East, ours is the only one which does not call for "swordsman ship" on the part of the dancer, for the swords in the Korean dance serve a supplementary rather than a major role.