Salpuri (Spirit-Cleansing Dance) Salpuri means literally to wash away evil spirits. Usually a mudang (shaman) presided over the process. Shamanism is a long-held tradition which emerged around the Three Kingdoms era. Salpuri was the climax of shaman rituals. Its representative by-product is the unique salpuri rhythmic cycle that has been adapted in other performing arts. Salpuri is prevalent in the Honam region, the southwestern part of Korea, in the form of ssitkimgut, the soul cleansing shaman rite. This is regarded as the archetype of the present Salpurichum which uses a white silk scarf as a key prop. The salpurichum dance has been polished over the centuries to add artistic value, and so it is hard today to trace it back to a mere exorcism rite. It was performed in shaman rites accompanied by the rhythms of shinawi (featuring an extensively improvised ensemble with wind and percussion instruments) to attract the interest of spectators. As it was refined into an artistic artform, salpuris name changed to ipchum, chukhungchum, or sugonchum. Although it derived from shaman rites, salpuri does not carry out any religious function. The dancer, attuning herself to the sorrowful shinawi music, portrays sadness and anxiety in her every step. During this process, the dancers movement reveals striking energy and movement as she performs in a trance- like state. The salpuris rhythmic normal font cycle starts out with slow-paced shinawi rhythms and gradually builds up speed which conveys the dancers excitement.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 04:09:31 +0000
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