Weekender
Traditional music form ‘sanjo’ embodies essence of improvisation
Korean traditional music is often stereotyped as being rigid and bound by rules, allowing little if any room for deviation. But traditional musical genre “sanjo” which literally means “scattered melodies” in Korean, is characterized by improvisational and impromptu rhythms and melodies. In fact, the genre embodies the essence of free-style improvisation more commonly associated with other genres.
Sanjo features a musical performance by a soloist accompanied by a percussionist playing “janggu,” an hourglass-shaped drum. The featured solo instrument in sanjo is usually “gayageum,” “geomungo” (plucked zithers), “daegeum” (bamboo flute), “haegeum” (bowed string instrument) and “piri” (double-reed instrument) some of the better known traditional Korean instruments.
Artistic director and fashion designer Jung Ku-ho is particularly fascinated by sanjo’s improvisational style. Jung worked on groundbreaking performances, such as “Scent of Ink” and “The Banquet,” with the National Dance Company of Korea, which impressed audiences through stylish performances using traditional Korean costumes and dance choreographies. He is the one who came up with a new dance performance called “Sanjo” inspired by the musical genre. The performance, divided into three acts, is in line with his efforts to modernize traditional dance. Such efforts began through his work with a dance company called “Dan” in 2013. But this time, Jung focused on adding more contemporary tastes. For instance, LED panels light up on stage according to the sounds and highlights of the show.
He tried to make the most of the musical style by working together with renowned artists including Goblin Party’s Lim Jin-ho (choreography), Modern Table’s Kim Jae-duk (music) and Grammy award-winning music producer Hwang Byeong-joon. They continued to change the music and choreography based on each other’s works, in line with the improvisational style of sanjo performed on stage.
Before the show, which will be performed at the National Theater of Korea from Thursday to Saturday,
The Korea Times interviewed Jung via email. The following is a transcript of the interview, which was edited for clarity.
Q
I heard you were planning for some time to come up with a performance based on sanjo. What made you choose sanjo as the title and theme?
A
Unlike other genres of traditional Korean music, sanjo is characterized by many improvisational elements and rhythmic changes. It can vary largely depending on the performer. That’s why I chose sanjo, but decided to imbue it with modern characteristics.
Q
I heard that you consider, as a director, whether to target existing consumers or new potential audiences as you seek to put a modern twist on sanjo. Which audience group are you targeting as you direct performances for the
National Dance Company?
A
I always take the audience into consideration when creating my works and I tend to adjust the level of the works for different audiences. My ultimate goal is to transform dance performances into modern, contemporary styles that can resonate with the current time, step by step. I focused on modernizing traditional Korean dance while staying as close to tradition as possible with
“Scent of Ink” and “The Banquet.” But “Sanjo” is a work that is closer to contemporary tastes. However, audiences who have seen previous works that collaborated with the National Dance Company seem to appreciate this stage of evolution.
Q
What is the highlight of the show?
A
Act 2 is the highlight of the modernization of tradition. It encompasses a beautiful cacophony. In Act 2, three triangular objects appear. As a shape a triangle is not of stable composition, unlike a square. The unstable movement of the objects is a process of showing the new harmony created by collaboration and tradition and modernity. This is the reason why the triangular object was chosen as a symbol of sanjo.
Q
Why did you place a rock on the stage?
A
The rock, being placed at the center of the stage, is an object that symbolizes tradition. Large rocks seem to stay in one place for hundreds of years. But they are changing very slowly with the passage of time. Like rocks that change with time, I wanted to show that our tradition and sanjo are also evolving. So I made a rotating rock to show that change.
Is there a philosophy of principle that you want to express through the works with the dance company?
A
I always try to create new traditions through experimentation, while striving to retain tradition.